


Stuck in The Middle with You

by Iyearnforaplotadvancement



Category: Glass (2019), Split (2016)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Character Study, F/F, F/M, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-01-23 17:54:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 42,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18554830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iyearnforaplotadvancement/pseuds/Iyearnforaplotadvancement
Summary: “They...he’s-um. Casey, they found him. Kevin,”Casey shook her head in confusion, her brows knitted together, “What do you mean ‘found him’?”Joseph swallowed thickly. “I mean that they found him. Alive,”Casey and Joseph are holed up in cabin for a few weeks, laying low. (Un)Luckily, Kevin has the same idea.





	1. Well I Don't Know Why I Came Here Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this is a little fluff piece I'm doing for this ship. I really like the idea of getting to explore Kevin's alters and I'm just kinda feeling things out while I finish some of my larger works. Please leave me a comment if you enjoy this! (Also surprise, I didn't spell check).

Things weren’t perfect, but they were better than they had been in a long time.

Casey smiled to herself. Things had been _a lot_ better.

College was done and over with. She was starting a new job in Pittsburgh in a few weeks. Her car was paid off.

Things were good.

That’s what she thought at least, until she opened her door and found Joseph standing there, his face full of worry.

“Joey, what’s wrong?”

His mouth twisted to the side the way it did when he wanted to say something was wrong but didn’t know how to say it.

“Case...This is, well, this is serious. Can I come in?”

She nodded, without question.

Since his dad had died four years ago in that dingy, muddy parking lot, Casey and Joseph had grown close. They were friendly, their bond built through their struggles experienced at the hands of the same people.

When they leaked the news of supers on the internet, few truly believed their existence. But they were out there, that’s all that mattered to them.

The hardest part of it all was moving on afterwards.

For Casey it was easy. She was used to the hurt. She had survived it before and would do it again. Joseph on the other hand took his father’s death a lot harder. He’d spent his whole life with him and then later worked with him, saving people in their own way. According to Joseph, _I have the best dad in the world, what more do I need?_ _(_ Though his tone had always changed, depending on when you’d ask him.)

He figured he would have had time to come to terms with his dad’s passing. That would have been years from now, when Joey himself was an older man, probably with a family of his own.

But life had other plans.

Currently, life was in the process of throwing them yet another curve ball.

Joseph made a beeline for the couch and sat down, Casey sat across from him on a little ottoman. The space was intimate, their knees bumped but Casey didn’t mind. Joseph, aside from her foster brothers, was one of the only men she could stand having so close.

“They...he’s-um. Casey, they found him. Kevin,”

Casey shook her head in confusion, her brows knitted together, “What do you mean ‘found him’?”

Joseph swallowed thickly. “I mean that they found him. Alive,".

Casey’s eyes grew wide.

“He was taken into custody, they found him prowling around the zoo,” Joseph continued.

Casey dropped her head into her hands and sighed heavily. She didn’t know what to feel. Relief? Fear? Happiness?

She felt her head humming, nearly vibrating with activity. How had he survived? Where had he hid all this time? Had he hurt anymore people?

“Casey, he escaped last night,”

* * *

That night Casey lied awake in her bed.

Her fingers aimlessly drummed themselves on her mattress as she watched her clock change from midnight to three a.m. with little concern.

She didn’t dare try to sleep. There would be no point anyways.

Sighing, Casey rolled onto her side and thought about Kevin.

_God, Kevin…_

How was he? Was he okay? Was he being helped? Had The Horde destroyed what was left of him? Silently, Casey wondered who was in control of The Light. Was he even Kevin right now?

A thought came to her mind as she recalled Hedwig and his dance for her. She smiled to herself, remembering the confusion and the horror but also the levity that she had experienced. She could almost imagine him now, sitting at the edge of her bed. He’d probably talk her ear off about Drake’s newest album or whatever rapper he was infatuated with.

Casey closed her eyes and tried to imagine what Hedwig would have looked like. Nine year old Kevin? Maybe someone entirely different, perhaps the image of a kid from a cereal commercial. The perfect friend…

Casey drew in a slow, deep breath, and then let her mind succumb to sleep.

* * *

Joseph came by the next week. He had asked her if anyone came by to talk to her. She said no one had. Joseph replied that he also had an uneventful week.

* * *

One night, Casey had seen a shadow outside her window. When she finally mustered up the courage to peek, the shadow had vanished.

* * *

While arranging her move to Pittsburgh, Casey received three different phone calls from unlisted numbers. Her rational side knew it was just telemarketers. Part of her had wondered if there was something more sinister going on.

* * *

Joseph had come over one afternoon, laptop in hand.

“I caught this outside the shop last night,” Joseph said, showing Casey security footage playback.

Casey watched the footage in total silence. She hadn’t thought much of it at first. It was just two guys looking at the shop. Sure, maybe they’d wanted to break in. Dunn Security wasn’t exactly in a spectacular neighborhood.

But then she noticed one of the men stick something on Joseph’s door.

He produced the object after the tape had finished. Casey held it in her hand, inspecting it.

“There’s a camera in it,” Joseph said. The statement was seemingly innocuous. But it was enough t make Casey shudder. She set the device down and sat silently.

* * *

“This place is pretty old,” Casey mumbled, “It’ll do for now though,” she said a little louder.

Joseph lugged a duffle bag from the back of the truck. His eyes fixed on the log cabin before them and he shrugged, “A cabin’s a cabin. As long as the heating and gas still works,”

Casey smirked, “I doubt it,”

Joseph grinned in return, “Sounds like you’re making us a fire then,”

Together, Casey and Joseph walked up the steps of the old cabin.

It had belonged to Casey’s father some twenty-odd years ago. She had thought her uncle had sold it when her dad died, but she was pleased to find out it was still here. Decrepit and dusty, but it was still there.

Joseph and Casey had a duffle bag each. There was a basket of clean sheets and some firearms along with that and two brand new pillows. There had been a large box of canned food, sleeping bags, and some basic cleaning supplies. Casey had felt that they were over packed. They weren’t going to be _living_ there. But Joseph insisted that it was better to be prepared. Plus, the winter was often unpredictable and as he put it, “We don’t a Donner Party part II,”.

The plan was to hide out in the cabins for a week or so in case whatever freak society came to looking for them. They knew-at least that Dr. Staple knew-that Casey had connection to Kevin. So perhaps by looking for him, they’d come to her.

She wanted no part in that. And to make sure they were going to keep it that way, Casey retreated to the one place she knew no one would look.

Once she arranged a moving company to handle her things, and drove her most valuable items to a storage unit not too far from her new home in Pittsburgh, she and Joseph came to little Westmoreland County.

Casey breathed in the frosty air, letting it coat the insides of her lungs. She shuddered, not just because of the cold. Nausea washed over her as memories of her uncle and long hunting trips resurfaced to the forefront of her mind. She tried to remind herself she had other things to worry about, scarier things than Uncle John and his hands.

_Even after all this time, he was still the monster that hid under her bed._

She tried to forget it as Joseph tossed the sleeping bags to her. She caught them, enjoying the connection the bags made with her body. It grounded her, reminded her that there was a world that existed outside of her past.

Joseph tagged along because Casey felt more secure having an extra set of eyes and ears around the place. He decided he needed some time off from work anyways and he was always ready to help out his friend. So the two found themselves effectively locked in for the next few weeks in Casey’s childhood getaway.

As expected, the cabin was dusty inside. Joseph could barely talk without sneezing and Casey felt as if her throat was lined with dust. They opened a few windows and tried to air out the place as they checked for gas and electricity and water.

Luckily for them the gas had been on, as was the electricity. The electricity seemed to only work on one side of the house. And the gas only worked on the stove. The water had been the best out of the three as it ran without any problems and was entirely clear.

Joseph huffed and then shrugged, “I mean...at least we _have_ it,” he reasoned.

Casey just grinned at his optimism and got to work cleaning off the beds.

There were two rooms; one near the cabin door, and one farther back in the cabin. In between both was a bathroom. The living room was also near the front of the cabin, directly behind that was a kitchen with a stove and fridge and not much else. Luckily it was the dead of winter, so they didn’t have to worry that much about keeping their food cold. They just had to worry about keeping themselves warm.

The room closest to the door was clean, but an encounter with a nest of roaches had sent Casey reeling, even after Joseph had gone in with a can of Raid and a broom.

“It’s just a nest...of roaches...” Joseph said aloud, and then-realizing what he’d said-sighed and shut the door. Casey explained only once that she was not going to chance waking up in the morning covered in bugs. That meant Casey was to prepare the backroom.

That room was where her father had slept. She had slept in the same room with him back when she was little. Looking at it now, the room had felt much smaller. When she was little, there were endless pillow forts and tents built upon two twin beds. The ceiling had been adorned with glow in the dark stickers that had now peeled and faded.

A wave of nostalgia had hit her, her eyes welled with tears as she remembered her dad.

“You okay?” Joseph asked softly, knowing the significance of the room and of the place in general.

“Yeah. I’m okay,” she replied, blinking away the tears.

They spent the next half hour cleaning the place out, changing the moldy bed sheets and dusting the place down before they settled their things into the room.

The duffles went under the beds, as did their rifles. The spare ammunition was tucked away safely into their bags, as were their side arms.

When everything was in it’s place, Casey and Joseph were feeling the pangs of hunger.

“Dinner?” asked Joseph.

“Yes,”

* * *

 

There had been a little diner some ways away. Casey remembered stopping by there for breakfast on hunting trips. It was part lodge, part restaurant. And most importantly, they sold breakfast 24/7.

Thankfully, it had not been packed when they arrived. The place was lively with many patrons walking in and out of the place, but not terribly populated.

“Miss this place?” asked Joseph over his steak.

Casey shrugged, “I guess as much as I missed the cabin,”. Slowly she cut into her chicken and waffles. “Everything feels so weird. Lot has changed,” she offered.

“Happens,” Joseph offered easily.

They ate in palpable silence, neither one bothered by the absent voice of the other. Casey liked that about Joseph. Things were easy with him. There was no pressure to fill every silence with words, she never had to explain why she felt a certain way. Joseph just knew. And if he didn’t, he was patient enough to wait for her to explain.

Thinking about it now, there weren’t many people she knew like that. Perhaps he was an anomaly, special even.

Joseph smirked, “What cha’ starin’ at Case?”

Casey blushed and wished she didn’t, “What?”

“You were staring at me,” He said. “Were you struck dumb by my good looks?”

Casey snorted, “More like struck dumb at how ugly you are,”

Joseph laughed through his nose, “No, you are,”

Casey rolled her eyes, “Shut up, Joey,”

* * *

They arrived back at the cabin with little to do.

Joseph advised to leave the electronics at home, in case they were tracked by them. Without a phone, a laptop, or even a TV, they were at a loss for entertainment.

It was maybe an hour and a half into aimless conversation did Casey find some board games hidden in the closet.

Soon, she and Joseph were engulfed in a game of Battleship.

“C7,”

“Hit,” Casey said, deflated. “You sunk my battleship,”

“Haha! Victory,” Joseph barked. “I warned you I was great at this, Case,”

Casey rolled her eyes. “You’re such a sore winner,” she said, grinning.

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you over the sound of my success,”

Before they knew it, they were both yawning messes. Deciding to turn in, they left their board games where they were and headed to bed.

They had pushed the other twin bed from The Roach Room into the room that belonged to Casey’s dad. Joseph was assigned to that bed, since Casey so childishly called it the Roach Bed. The beds were placed on opposite sides of the room.

“I snore,” said Joseph, warning his friend.

“I remember,” Casey groaned, recalling a small party she had hosted in her apartment. Joseph had a little too much to drink so she allowed him to crash at her place. From the living room, through a closed door, she was able to hear him as if he was right next to her.

Casey cringed, fearing what horrors Joseph had stored for tonight.

She crawled into bed, as did he. Normally she would have had the comforts of her phone to entertain her till she fell asleep, but all she had it seemed was Joseph and his impossibly loud snoring. Maybe that had been his super power.

“Night,”

“Night,”

* * *

Casey woke that morning with a start.

She heard a rustling in the kitchen. She held her breath, waiting for the rustling to happen again. She looked over at Joseph who was still asleep. Had she imagined that noise?

The sound of cabinets being opened and slammed once more told her all she needed to know.

Silently she slid out of bed and knelt to the floor, reaching for her already sidearm.

Joseph by now was awake and was mimicking Casey. She held her finger up to her lips. Joseph nodded. Slowly, Casey opened the bedroom door. She led with her firearm, creeping down the hall. Joseph followed close behind.

The first thing that Casey noted was the front door was closed. No forced entry. Second, she saw the figure; a man. His back was turned to her. His hair was patchy, long in some places, short in others, and nearly bald in some others. He wore a short coat, ratty and full of holes. Casey assumed some homeless man had snuck into the cabin, looking for food. Of course, she could never be too careful.

Casey steadied her arm and her voice, “Turn around,”

The figure threw up his hands, “Look, I don’t-,”. He turned slowly. His eyes went wide.

Casey’s heart caught in her throat. “Kevin?”


	2. And I'm Wondering What it is I Should Do

“Of all the cabins in all the counties in all the world, he walks into ours,” Joseph said, peering out the windows.

“Ours?” asked Kevin, frowning.

“Mine,” Casey corrected, “Joseph is staying with me,”

“What are you two doing up here? Hunting?” Kevin said.

This personality of Kevin’s spoke with no particular accent besides “American”. He had no ticks, no inflections, no props or anything to go off of. Casey wondered who sat in front of her.

“You remember me and Joseph?” Casey asked, trying to figure who Kevin was now.

“I remember you, Casey. We all do. And him I sorta remember,” Kevin said, glancing at Joseph who still sat at the window. “Your dad is um-,”

“Dead. Yeah,” Joseph said curtly, not looking towards Kevin.

“Sorry,” Kevin mumbled.

“Kevin, what are you doing up here?” Casey asked.

“Ansel. And we’re hiding,” he said.

Ansel. Casey didn’t know this one. She remembered scant details from a file in Staple's office. Nothing was notable about Ansel besides the fact that he identified as a man and was mentally around her age.

“Were you followed? By anyone? The cops?” Joseph asked.

“No, I don’t think I was,” Ansel answered.

“We’ll find out soon enough I guess,” Joseph replied, stepping away from the window, “I’m gonna go park the truck around back, might need it later for a get away,” he sounded as if he was joking, but Casey couldn’t tell, couldn’t care. She nodded as Joseph walked out the front door and started up the vehicle.

There were many things she wanted to ask Kevin. She started with the easiest, “How did you survive?”

Ansel shrugged, “Just did, I guess. Bullet went clean through. Just had to stop the bleeding,”

_But how, you died in my arms._

Ansel saw the confusion on her face and shook his head, “I just know one minute we’re all freaking out. The next, I’m in the light. We’re in some operating room...” he shrugged once more. “That’s it,”

Casey’s brows knitted together in confusion, “So for four years you’ve been doing what?”

“Surviving,” Ansel said, “I got a job under the table from this bar. I slept in the storage unit above the place. And then I don’t remember what happened for a long time. I lost the light to Hedwig. Then Dennis took it-,”

Casey’s heart leaped, “Dennis?” Fear peppered Casey’s thoughts, but at the same she felt relieved. Dennis was one of the more coherent personalities. He could explain what happened.

Ansel nodded, “He took us somewhere after that. I don’t remember what exactly, but I remember this old lady living with us. I guess we got kicked out or something because I was back out in the light again and we were-,” Ansel made a vague gesture with his hands, “Homeless?”

At this, Casey frowned. She touched Ansel’s hand.

“And then I got another job stocking boxes and that’s what I did for a while. Hedwig, he got to me, said he missed something from the zoo. But that kid was so clumsy, he got us caught by the night security. The cops took us in. Luckily Dennis took over, got us outta there. But then him and Barry started fighting and...I dunno. It was me or Hedwig who had to take the light while those two were hashing it out. Hedwig didn’t step up, so I did,”

“How did you get here then?” Casey asked.

“We needed to get away from Philly, so we hopped a bus to Pittsburgh. But something happened. I got off on the wrong stop maybe? I don’t know, I think I saw something. Next thing I knew I was wandering around in the woods,” Ansel explained.

Casey was breathless. Incredible. Had she gone to Pittsburgh in the first place, she could have missed Kevin entirely. Or possibly she would’ve just ran into him again.

“So why are you guys out here, again?” Ansel asked.

“We were um...we heard you escaped custody. So Joseph said it would be good to get away, in case you or someone came looking,” she said.

Ansel mouthed an “Oh” and looked away, embarrassed.

Joseph came in a second later. “Okay, truck’s parked. Took me a bit but it’s good to go now if we need to leave in a hurry,”

Casey nodded, “Thanks,”

“Don’t mention it,” he said. Joseph put his hands on his hips and looked at both of them expectantly, “So what’s the plan?”

Casey looked at Ansel, then to Joseph, and back to Ansel. “I have no idea,”

Joseph nodded, “Always a good plan,”

For a while, Casey simply just paced the cabin’s interior. She made circles in the living room, walking up and down the narrow hall of the cabin. Eventually she went to the kitchen and paced around there too.

Ansel watched her curiously from the living-room. He looked at Joseph with concern in his eyes, “Does she need help with something?”

Joseph smiled, knowing something Kevin- Ansel- didn’t. He shook his head, “She’s alright,”

Joseph looked around, “I’m gonna go get some stuff from the general store down the road. I’ll leave you guys the truck,” Joseph said to Ansel, but meant it for Casey. “I’ll be back soon,”

The taller man left, taking the cabin keys and his wallet with him.

Ansel for the most part just sat quietly waiting for Casey to come back from her pacing. When she finally stopped, Ansel was playing aimlessly with a piece from Casey’s checkerboard.

“Okay, we need to think this through,” Casey said, nearly making Ansel jump. He turned towards her and cocked his eyebrow. “We can’t be hasty,” She added, “We need to know what we’re dealing with first,”

Ansel nodded along with her, “And how do we do that?”

“What do you remember-,”

“I told you-,”

“I mean, what _else_ do you remember? What does Barry know? Or Dennis,” Casey said.

Ansel’s mouth turned into a taut line. He looked away, “I- we can’t talk to them,”

Casey nodded, “Okay, can anyone besides you tell us anything? We need to fill into the blanks,”

Ansel swallowed, “I-I-I-I-,”

Casey jerked back as Kevin’s face began to contort. She cringed, regretting pushing Ansel to divulge his information. She thought about going for her gun, but if The Beast suddenly emerged, it would be little use to her.

Suddenly Kevin’s body went still, he looked around and then saw Casey. He smiled brilliantly at her and for a small second she felt relief. And then he opened his mouth.

“Casey? You’re here!” said Hedwig.

She smiled, oddly happy to see the lisping nine year old.

Hedwig rose from the chair and gathered her in his arms, “Ah man, I missed you. Yo I got some new moves to show you,”. Hedwig began to dance then stopped, taking in his surroundings. “Where are we?” he asked.

“My cabin, Hedwig. You-Ansel- came here,” She said.

“Oh yeah! I told him to break in cause it was like cold outside, and we were hungry,” Hedwig looked around, spinning. “I dunno what happened after that,” he admitted.

His eyes traveled to the floor, where the remnants of last night’s endeavors. “Ah cool, ya’ got Mouse Trap. Can we play?”

“Sure, Hedwig,” Casey said softly, abandoning her attempt to make a plan.

* * *

 

The two sat on the floor, setting up the board game. Joseph walked through the door a moment later. He carried a paper bag under his arm and a pillow in the other.

“Got some stuff,” Joseph said, “Figured we’re not going nowhere,”

Casey helped him with the bags and set the stuff down in the kitchen. She saw the pillow under his arm and raised a brow, “What’s that for?”

“Him,” Joseph said, gesturing to Kevin. “I mean, we’re obviously not gonna kick him out,”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Hedwig protested, “Would you Casey?” he asked softer.

She shook her head at Hedwig, “Of course not,”. Looking back at Joseph she said, “I still don’t know what to do,”

“Who is he now?” Joseph asked.

“Hedwig, he’s nine,”

“Right,” Joseph said, remembering what Casey had told him a few years ago. He shrugged, “Well we can make a plan over dinner,”. He began to pull out a few ingredients from the paper bag, “I got enough to last us maybe two weeks. Plus whatever we brought with us,” he said. “So either we come up with something by then or you know,” Joseph said, trailing off. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about yet,” he assured.

“Thank you for being so level headed about this.” Casey said.

Joseph smiled and nodded. Casey reached out for Joseph, squeezing his arm in appreciation.

“Ah, Casey, I think I broke sumthin’,” called Hedwig.

At this Joseph snorted, “Better go help him out,”

Casey returned to the carpet with Hedwig as Joseph prepared dinner.

* * *

 

When Joseph was finished he set the table. It was a rickety little thing in the corner of what was the living room. He had bought plastic plates and cutlery at the general store along with a big thing of napkins.

There were plates and mugs in the cupboards but Joseph wasn’t sure if he’d wanted to touch the things. He had no idea what nearly twenty years shut in a rundown cabin could have done to them.

Casey was still busy entertaining Hedwig, at least Joseph thought he was still Hedwig. He could hear Kevin lisping, but wasn’t sure if he had another personality, another alter who also lisped.

“Dinner’s ready,” Joseph said.

Casey pointed to the table, gesturing to sit down.

Kevin nodded.

Casey approached the table with a smile, “What’d you make?”

“Chicken piccata,” Joseph said proudly, “My mom made this for us every Sunday,” he added.

There were only three chairs, so Joseph pulled up the old loveseat to the table. He plopped himself down in the surprisingly clean chair and grunted, pleased. “Now I know why dad liked these chairs so much,”

Casey smiled and had a seat.

“I want hotdogs,” said Hedwig, sitting down at the table.

“Hedwig-,” An admonishment was on Casey’s tongue.

“We’ll make it tomorrow,” Joseph said easily, scooping up a portion for Kevin. “You don’t mine boiled right? We don’t have a grill,”

“Can I do ‘em?” asked Hedwig excitedly, “I know how to start the stove and stuff,”

Joseph cracked a smile, “Yeah, bud of course,”

“We’re friends?” He asked, astonished.

“If you’re friends with Casey you’re friends with me,” Joseph said.

Hedwig smiled, lopsidedly. Casey grinned at Joseph who winked back. He stuck out his elbow for her, wiggling his eyebrows. Casey rolled her eyes with a stifled laugh and bumped her own elbow into his.

Hedwig eyed the two suspiciously, “You guys got a secret handshake or sumthin?”

“Yeah, it’s an in-joke,” Joseph said, serving Casey a smaller amount of food.

“Make it an out-joke,” Hedwig whined, shaking a plastic fork and knife out of it’s box.

“You wanna learn it, Hedwig?” Casey asked.

“Yeah, you’re our friend. You’re allowed in on the secret handshake,” Joseph said.

At that, Hedwig’s demeanor perked up, “Secret?”

“Yeah, only me and Casey knows about it, not even my dad knows this one,” Joseph said in a conspiratory whisper, “And my dad and I are, like, _best_ friends,”

“Teach me,” Hedwig said with glee.

“Stick out your elbow like this,” Joseph directed, demonstrating. Hedwig copied. “Okay and bump the tip of your elbow to mine,”

Hedwig did, completing with silent joy. “We’re a club,”

Joseph nodded, “You can’t share it with anyone else though,” he added, “It’s only you me and Casey that know,”

“Alright!” Hedwig exclaimed, picking up the plastic knife and waving it around in excitement, “This is gonna be-,”

Kevin’s face twisted, his arm lowered shakily. Joseph shot a look at Casey as they both looked on with baited breath.

Kevin’s face calmed, he looked at Joseph, then at Casey. “Hedwig isn’t allowed to use utensils. He’s not a danger to anyone but himself, though,”.

Casey didn’t recognize the voice, nor the body language.

Joseph slipped into a polite smile, “You’re looking out for him though, right…?”

“B.T.” he said. He looked down at his food, “What is this?”

“Chicken Piccata,” Joseph said, sheepishly. B.T.’s piercing stare was making him feel self-conscious.

“Interesting,” B.T. cut into the food and tasted it. “This is good,”.

Casey shrugged easily and ate too. Joseph joined soon after.

They came to learn that B.T. was curt, quiet. Casey noticed notes of Dennis in his personality. The professionalism, the clinical way of looking at everything, the bereft manner of speaking, it was all pointing back to him.

In a small way, she almost missed Dennis. Not that she missed any of the ‘good’ memories, but she missed the cogency of his personality. His other alters always felt out of touch, Dennis however always knew what was always going on. He always had a method, a plan.

Right now she needed a plan.

* * *

 

“B.T. do you need anything?” asked Joseph, shuffling a deck of cards.

“No. Thank you,” B.T. replied. He was posted at the window, looking out on the landscape and the nearby cabins. “It’ll likely snow within the few days,” he said simply.

Joseph hummed, “You think?”

“I know,” he replied.

“How?”

“Watched the weather patterns while Ansel was walking around,” B.T. answered plainly, “Two, maybe three days, it’ll start snowing,”

Casey shot a glance at Joseph. He shook his head and began to lay out cards for a game of solitaire.

B.T. at this point had moved away from the window and drifted silently to the kitchen. He looked over the contents of the cabinets and made a choking sound.

“Amazing,” he mumbled mirthlessly, “This won’t do, how will we find anything? How many of these things do we even have?” B.T. plucked a dust coated plate from the cabinet and swiped a finger over it. A clean streak lined the plate, distinguishing where B.T. had removed the dust.

“Joseph, do you have soap and a sponge?” he asked.

“Yeah, I put it under the sink,”

Casey balked, “You got soap and sponges, and _paper plates_?”

“You can do more than just wash dishes with soap,” Joseph said, a small whine veiled his response.

Casey huffed and rose to help B.T. “What do you wanna do?”

“Let’s take inventory,” he said with certainty, “We’ll take stock of everything we have, ration. Start with the plates and mugs. We’ll do consumables- that means toiletries and food- then work with our textiles, and then see how much energy we’re using...”, Casey had instantly regretted asking B.T. what his plans were. She had hoped that there was a point to B.T.’s organizing, apparently there wasn’t much past that.

She hadn’t known the extent of all of Kevin’s personalities. She remembered being told by someone, or perhaps had heard somewhere that Kevin had over twenty. After she had been kidnapped by Dennis, she did research on what she had witnessed. She came to learn that every alter had served a purpose for Kevin. If someone like Barry was supposed to be the “normal” one, and Hedwig was there when Kevin needed an outlet for stress, she wondered what someone like Dennis and B.T. offered.

Casey helped B.T. wash the dishes, then she painstakingly counted everything Joseph had gotten them, finally counted all the clothes in the cabin. That particular task included the clothes Joseph and Casey packed as well as some of the old things her father left behind. She stopped helping as B.T. began to write down an equation to calculate the usage of electricity and water they were using.

When the tasks had been completed, Joseph had finished three games of solitaire and Casey felt a little tired.

B.T. had retired to The Roach Room to see if he could find anything of use in there. Casey winced, wishing him luck and prayed Dennis wouldn’t suddenly take over and die of an aneurysm.

There was one clock in the whole cabin. It hung on the largest wall in the living room. Casey was amazed that it had ran this whole time, but she didn’t trust it. There was something wrong with the clock, she just couldn’t remember what. She had vaguely remembered numerous trips where her father would gripe about waking up late, but as a little girl she never understood. She assumed it was because the clock was behind, she just didn’t know slow it had been.

“Really wishing I had my phone,” she said. Joseph looked up at her apologetically from the floor.

“I can run to the store tomorrow to get something,” Joseph offered. “Or you can use my watch-,”

“No it’s not a big deal, I think there’s another clock in the closet. We can set that one to the right time from your watch,” Casey wandered to the small closet at the end of the hall, pulling out the box that contained odds and ends. She had hoped that B.T. hadn’t still been there because he would have made her take note, of everything in the box, no doubt.

Casey got down on her knees and started sifting through the box. Softly she smiled when she found what she was looking for. The nightstand clock was digital, meant to be plugged into the wall. She decided to test it, plugging it into the nearby socket. The red numbers flashed before her, blinking in and out. She fiddled with the buttons, trying to change the numbers. But as she did, the numbers slowly faded.

Casey frowned and shook the clock in a feeble attempt to make the unit function. The clock was old, absolutely. But it was barely used and for the most part, kept in decent condition.

“You find something, Case?”

Casey unplugged the clock from the wall. She brought it over to Joseph.

“It worked for half a second,” she lamented, “I dunno what’s wrong with it,”

Kevin emerged from The Roach Room then, his eyes were wide, curious.

Casey looked at him wearily, “B.T.?”

“Goddard,” he corrected, “How did I get here?” Goddard’s accent was posh, elegant. His accent had jumped straight from the pages of a Jane Austen novel. He carried himself confidently, but there was something soft in his body language.

He glanced at Joseph and then at Casey, “I’m sorry, have we met?”

“I’m Casey, this is Joseph. We’re Hedwig’s friends,”

“Ah yes, the boy,” Goddard said with a nod of his head, “Then it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” his eyes fell to the clock in Casey’s hands.

“Pardon, may I?” he pointed to the clock. Casey shook her head, passing it to him.

Goddard turned the machine over in his hands, “Older model. 2004-2005. Does this need fixing?” asked Goddard.

Casey nodded, figuring Kevin had heard her in The Roach Room and Goddard was thrust into the light to fix her clock.

“Yes, very well. I recall seeing a small tool box in the other room. Excuse me,” Goddard had disappeared yet again into The Roach Room.

“How many personalities does this guy have,” Joseph asked lowly.

“Twenty, at least,” Casey had said, hearing the door click into place.

Joseph looked astonished, “That’s insane,” he said quietly, gathering his cards. “And like, does he remember what he does when he’s someone else?”

Casey nodded then stopped herself, “It depends, I guess. If the Alters talk to each other,”

“So he can hide secrets from himself?” Joseph chuffed, “Imagine...”

Casey frowned, though she didn’t know why. “His mother, she-,” a lump was stuck in her throat, “Um-he’s like that because of her. Because of how bad she...”, it was odd, even after four years she still couldn’t say it. _Abused. His mom abused him._

_Like my uncle abused me..._

She took a deep breath, “Anyways, he doesn’t have control over it. It just happens. Hedwig says they all fight for consciousness. He calls it The Light,”

“Are any of them dangerous. You know...besides the obvious one,” Joseph asked.

Casey wasn’t sure what to say. Dennis had the potential to be dangerous. Patricia had the potential. But were they dangerous without The Beast? Were they actually any real harm?

She had recalled the day she held Kevin in her arms, bleeding. She had heard the scared cries of Hedwig and the regrets of Dennis as his pants absorbed his blood. It was only Patricia in the last seconds of her life who had looked Casey in the eyes with no fear, no begging.

_Never let them tell you I doubted._

Had Patricia’s faith been tested, had that been enough to render her a confused, hopeless wreck? Was The Beast truly just some idealized figure and without his presence they were all simply sick?

Casey looked at Joseph who looked at her expectantly.

She shrugged.

* * *

 

Goddard had fixed the clock, as well as disappeared.

Hedwig took over for a while and mentioned a squirrel he saw from the cabin window. Casey half listened to him as she drifted in and out of sleep. Once or twice she was told by Joseph to go to bed and that he could watch “the kid”. But Casey was afraid he would change, become someone entirely different and she didn’t want Joseph to be alone.

“And then I looked at the squirrel an-,” Hedwig seized. His head head lolled back and snapped back up. Casey woke, startled by the lack of Hedwig’s voice. She rubbed her eyes and Joseph stood, waiting.

Kevin looked at Joseph, confused. Then he caught Casey’s eyes and smiled, relieved. “Oh, baby girl...” he said breathlessly.

“It’s you,” Casey said, rising to meet him. She had known _this_ alter. Not by name- well maybe she did, but faintly-but by mannerism, by voice, by the way he looked at her as if she was a specter that floated in the room. He had tried to keep her safe from Kevin, tried to help her too. She hadn’t known him for long, and yet she felt this connection with him.

She closed the gap between them in shaky steps.

He held onto her, tightly squeezing her as if she were most certainly going to disappear. “Casey, how-,”

“What happened-,”

“-I just remember I got shot,”

“That doctor, she -,”

“Did we hurt anyone-,”

“-I’m so happy to see you,”

They stepped over each other, spoke fast, and half the time were seemingly incoherent. When they had finally calmed down, Casey pulled away from him and found some kind of footing with her words. “What happened,”

“It’s a long story,” Barry said.

“Um- I’m Joseph?” Joseph offered his hand to Barry, smiling.

Barry chuckled, “Yeah. I was hearing you talk with Hedwig. I’m Barry,”. He shook Joseph’s hand firmly.

Joseph lowered his hand and nodded, “Good to know,”

Barry turned to Casey, “I’m gonna explain everything,” Barry said, then suddenly looked down. “First I’m gonna need to get out these clothes,” He pulled at the tattered fabric of the coat, wincing. “My God,” he groaned.

“B.T. found my dad’s stuff, you can see if they fit,”

“Thanks, Doll, I’ll be back,” Barry had excused himself to The Roach Room to sift through the box of clothes Casey and B.T. had salvaged. Casey absently remembered Barry’s strong opinions on clothes and looked forward to see what he would say regarding her dad’s decades old hunting outfits.

When he emerged, he was running a hand through his hair. Barry had noticed the unevenness of his latest haircut, he even lamented what he would see in the mirror. “It’s awful, isn’t it? It feels _awful_ ,”

Casey snorted, amused by Barry’s fit over his hair. Barry sat down on the old couch, seemingly annoyed by that too. “Oh gosh, don’t get me wrong. I love that whole rustic aesthetic, but _Casey_ , c’mon,”

She chuckled now, sitting down next to Barry who still played with his hair, “I’m open to redecorating,” she said softly, placing her hand on Barry’s arm.

“Good, because I’m gonna flip the shit out of this house,” he shook his head, smiling wistfully. Barry flexed his hands, “Thank you, Casey. For helping Kevin,”. Casey nodded, her face growing hot at the sincerity of Barry’s voice.

“It’s...he needed me,” Casey mumbled.

“He did and the group and I are so thankful,” Barry said, rubbing her back, “We’re gonna fix this,” he promised.

“Where is Kevin?” Joseph asked. Barry’s eyes trained on the young man. He shrugged, apologetically.

“Sleeping,” Barry said. He tapped the side of his head, “In here,”

“Will he get to come out?” Joseph asked.

“When he’s ready. He’s very tired. He’s confused...” Barry crossed his arms over his chest. He nibbled his lip, making a worried face, “I don’t want him near The Light, not right anyways,”

Joseph nodded, sitting down across from Barry on another dusty chair.

“So what happened, Barry?”

“As far as I know, Dennis got us away from the hospital,” Barry said plainly, “I took over after that. We were already bandaged up by that time. I knew we needed to get away, but I couldn’t exactly just gallivant around town. There was this guy we knew a while back that Jalin hung out with. He got us a job at his bar, didn’t ask questions,” Barry waved his hand in a vague gesture, “After that we were fine, but Polly, Felicia, they were freaking. They wanted Kevin back. Polly and Felicia aren’t exactly stable, but they’re strong. And I knew if I didn’t do something they’d throw Kevin back in. I couldn’t have that,” Barry shook his head. “I needed to calm them down. But Dennis tried throwing his weight around and...” his voice tapered off. He sighed heavily scratching his head, “It’s was shit-show. So I threw Ansel in there while I was trying to put out fires. He’s pretty ‘normal’, so I knew he could handle it while I was gone,”

Barry scowled, throwing his hands up in exasperation, “But Hedwig, dammnit,” he whined, “I didn’t even think about the little guy,”. Barry laughed humorlessly, “He did some...some very not adult things. And Jalin’s friend got worried. Dennis knew I was distracted so he took control. And we-,” Barry once again moved his hands to express something, “We lived with someone, I dunno who. But we left after sometime. It must’ve been a while cause I remember our hair being long. Nice-long though, not whatever-this-is-long,”

Barry’s hand reached up and grabbed a wayward lock of hair, “And then Dennis and I got into again. The Light was open, but for the first time no one wanted it,”.

Casey and Joseph exchanged a glance. Barry crossed his arms, “Heggie I figured took it, since we were in the zoo again. But the security found us. So after we got away I told everyone to just hop a bus and the hell outta Dodge. And now we’re here,”

Again, Barry’s hand flew up to his uneven hair. He frowned, “Joseph please tell me you got clippers or something,”. Barry rubbed his face, his frown deepened as he ran a hand through his beard. “We gotta get rid of some of this. I can hear Jade in my ear. I dunno how she always forgets that we’re still a man,” Barry mused. “Teenagers,” he finally finished.

“I got some trimmers you can use, you’re kinda on your own for the hair though, unless-,” Joseph looked at Casey, “you got scissors or something?”

Casey nodded, “I got some. And a comb you can use for you hair,”

Casey and Joseph stood to retrieve their tools.

In an instant Barry disappeared, replaced by an Alter with a higher voice and expressive body language, “Oh god, you two are angels,” said Kevin. He stood and shook their hands, “I’m Jade,”. She looked at Joseph then, feeling his bicep, “Ooh, and _you’re_ ripped,”

Casey and Joseph looked at each other and grinned.

* * *

 

When Casey and Joseph returned, Barry was back again.

He’d changed into a thick, green sweater. Casey remembered that her dad had worn it exactly once. Her dad hated wool, no matter how cold it got, he vehemently opposed it. Barry looked better in it, Casey thought, then she chided herself. _Not like that,_ she corrected.

Joseph had loaned Barry a pair of pants, as none had been found in the cabin. The sweats pooled at Barry’s feet, even after Barry did his best to shorten the pants by means of rolling the waits line in. Barry eventually just cuffed them and called it a night.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t still complaining about how bad he looked when Casey and Joseph entered the bathroom. Joseph handed Casey the tools, a towel, put two big mugs of water into the microwave for her, and went to bed.

Casey appreciated the space Joseph had given her and was even more grateful he was finally asleep. She hated feeling like she was putting him out, even if Joseph insisted that he was here to help.

“So, what are you thinking of doing today?” Casey asked jokingly.

Barry grinned, “A little of the top, a little off the sides? I wanna look as far from punk rock Jesus as possible,”

Casey got to work brushing out the longer sections of hair. Barry was quiet through it. Casey hadn’t had much experience cutting hair, but she had memorized some videos she’d seen on YouTube and had watched a hairstylist cut her hair on one or more occasions. She figured all Barry needed right now was to have shorter hair than he had now. She could do that much.

When she finished brushing she went to the kitchen to retrieve the mugs of now warmed water. The water in the shower would run, but it would be cold and would take forever to warm.

“Can you lean over the sink?” Casey asked.

Barry raised a brow.

“I’m gonna wash your hair,”

He looked at her, numbly. Cautiously she asked, “Barry?” She wondered if at some point Barry had changed to a different identity. But then Barry- or _someone_ \- had leaned his head over the sink basin. Casey poured the first mug of water over Barry’s head. There was a small gasp, then a slow exhale. Casey soaked Barry’s hair with the second mug and left to refill the mugs and warm them.

As she waited, she shampooed Barry’s hair. She had borrowed some of Joseph’s soap and scrubbed gently at Barry’s scalp as she had done to her numerous times in the salon. An odd sense of glee and ease had overcome her as she massaged the soap into his hair. Like petting a dog, or a furry animal, there was something oddly satisfying about cleaning a head of hair, especially hair as long as Barry had.

She heard the microwave beep and excused herself, instructing Barry to keep his head leaned over the sink. She rinsed her hands quickly in the kitchen and took the mugs back to the bathroom.

She washed out the soap, squeezed out the excess water, and finally let Barry sit up right. He groaned slightly as he leaned his neck up. Casey chuckled softly, placing the towel around his shoulders. “Sorry,” she offered and she combed his hair out again.

Now came the challenging part of how exactly to cut his hair. She stared at the mirror, then at the back of Barry’s head, then at the mirror again.

“I believe in you, kid,” Barry said, making Casey jump a little at the sound. Barry made a small noise through his nose.

Casey gripped the scissors confidently and in her other hand gathered Barry’s hand in a ponytail. She cut straight across and held the long bundle of hair in her hand. She presented it to Barry who smiled at the sight of it. “Makes me wanna cry,”

“You wanna save it and hang it on your wall?” Casey joked.

“No, get that thing outta my face,” He said, still smiling.

Casey dumped the still wet hair unceremoniously into the garbage bin and began to towel off what was left. Here she was at a loss, she knew it wasn’t as simple as cutting straight across the hair with the scissors. Silently, Casey knew now why some people had to be certified to cut hair.

“I’m gonna try my best to make this presentable,”

“I’m gonna try to pretend to like it when you’re done,”

Casey went to work, snipping the longer parts to match the shorter strands. She wasn’t sure how to rectify the nearly bald patches that spotted Barry’s scalp. Once his hair was more or less evened out, Casey let Barry admire himself in the mirror. “More?” asked Casey shyly.

Barry ran his hand through his hair and shook his head, “No, this is great. I’ll just slap a hat on or something,” his hand went to his beard and he scratched at it, “I’ll get to work on trimming this down. You can hit the hay, it’s late,”

Casey glanced at Joseph’s tools and at the scissors. “Are you-,” Casey stopped to make a gesture to the tools.

Barry again raised an eyebrow and gave her a small grin, “Honey, we’re not gonna hurt ourselves, okay? I’m a big boy I know how to use scissors and a personal groomer,”

Casey nodded, “Right… Right. Sorry,”

“Don’t apologize, Baby. I know you’re just looking out for us. Go to bed, get some sleep,”

Casey smiled again, retreating to the bedroom where a sleeping Joseph lay.

* * *

 

Barry watched her go into the room. He made a face and grinned as he looked at himself in the mirror.

“Sharing a room,” Barry said, with a waggle of his brows.

His eyes rolled into his skull, another personality emerged.

Jade grinned widely at her reflection, “Ooh you think they’re fuc-,”

“I don’t think so,” Barry replied. “He doesn’t seem her type,”

“Yeah I’m her type!” said Hedwig, popping out. He scratched his face, “Can we keep the beard?”

“Absolutely not,” Jade said. “Also it’s late Hedwig, you should be asleep,”

“Why not? Ansel likes it,” Hedwig whined, “I like it too,”

“Kids, please,” Barry said, rolling his eyes. “Heggie, Jadey’s right, you should be asleep,”

Hedwig pouted and then retreated into the confines of Kevin’s mind. Jade took his place and grabbed the comb, brushing out the beard, “Okay so like, Casey though. You think she and Handsome are shacking up?”

“No, that doesn’t...I dunno it doesn’t seem like her,” Barry said.

“How do you know? We’ve seen her like maybe twice before this,”

“I dunno. Dennis-,”

“Dennis? You’re still talking to that fucking weirdo?”

“He’s us, Jade. We can’t just ignore him when we don’t like him. That’s how this mess started,” Said Barry.

“He’s not me,” she replied indignantly.

“He is. We’re all in this together,” Barry reminded, “We’re all here for Kevin and each other. I made a mistake before-shutting up people we didn't agree with- but not again,”.

At this, Jade stepped from The Light and in Kevin’s head, she sat down next to Barry and held his hand. He smiled at her, softly. Jade leaned in to hold Barry from his side and closed her eyes. Barry gently stroked the back of Jade's head, "We'll get through this, Kiddo. All of us,". Jade looked at Barry, confident in the man who was and wasn't her and let herself sink into sleep. 

He looked back at himself in the mirror, alone.

“Okay, now let’s handle this bush we got growing on our face,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I appreciated all the kind words from the first chapter and am happy to see it did so well!
> 
> Some notes; I have a hard time characterizing Joseph. I saw Unbreakable so long ago and Glass had him as such a very static character so I wasn't getting anything more off him besides: Is a nice guy, loves his dad. Not that there's anything wrong but it gave me such a wicked idea for this fic so I'm excited to explore with his character. Let's just say it'll be very left field. 
> 
> Secondly, I'm taking a few liberties with the alters in this fic. A few were outlined in the movies so I'm just going off that PLUS what I envision for some of the unseen ones. 
> 
> As always, leave me a comment. I love interacting with you guys, and I'll see you in the next update.


	3. Trying to Make Some Sense of it All

Joseph woke early the next morning.

Casey was out cold and Joseph didn’t even try to wake her. Instead he padded out the room and made extra sure not to wake her.

Absently, he realized that Kevin had more or less been left up to his own devices last night after Casey had come in.

He wondered where Kevin had slept- The Roach Room, most likely- and felt guilt as it colored his thoughts. He had given Kevin a pillow but not much else. Last night was freezing, did Kevin find a blanket at least? Joseph glanced at The Roach Room door, it was closed. He figured Kevin had found _something_. Joseph huffed and put it out of his mind, he’d make up for it with coffee.

* * *

 

“What’s that?” asked a lisping voice.

Joseph turned around curiously to see Kevin standing in the kitchen. Well, Hedwig.

Kevin’s hair was shorter, much shorter. It was still long, falling just past his ears. But it had been shorter than the last time Joseph had seen him. His beard was still present, but was trimmed down, neat and tidy.

Joseph looked down at his hands, he was holding a pan and a spatula. “Uh, I’m making eggs. You hungry? You want some?”

Hedwig grinned, “Can I make ‘em, I know how to flip ‘em and stuff,”

Joseph grinned too. It was odd, admittedly. He was a full grown, bearded man, but talked and acted like a kid. For a second, Joseph remembered last night when Hedwig had become someone else after gripping a _plastic knife_. He wondered if he should have been allowed to touch the stove.

“Just be careful,” He advised, trying not to talk down to Hedwig. Gently, Joseph set the pan back on the stove and watched it warm as Hedwig grabbed an egg from the carton.

“Yeah I will be,” The nine-year old said with confidence.

Hedwig cracked an egg into the pan, enthralled by the sizzling the egg made when it hit the searing metal. He giggled and leaned over the pan, watching the egg fry, “That’s so cool. Mr. Dennis never let me cook because-,”

Hedwig withdrew his hand with a pained yelp. Joseph reached for Hedwig’s hand. “What happened Bud? Did you burn yourself,”

Hedwig gave Joseph his hand that had started to turn red where he had touched the hot pan. Joseph had a second to look at it before Hedwig withdrew his hand. A deep scowl sewed itself into Kevin’s face. His body went stiff, not with the easy air Hedwig had. Kevin glanced around the cabin, bewildered, clutching his hand.

Joseph backed up, getting ready to wake Casey and run if need be.

“Where am I?” Kevin asked, his accent was thick. He spoke in rounded tones, oddly he sounded like a more menacing Tweety Bird. He looked down at his hand, Joseph saw a flash of anger behind his eyes. “What happened?”

“Uh, I-um… You’re in a cabin in Westmoreland County?” Joseph was at a loss for words. “I’m-it’s-um,” Joseph looked the Alter up and down. He took a deep breath, “It’s okay. I’m Joseph, you’re here with me and Casey, you remember her?”

Kevin’s eyes lit up with recognition, “Casey? She’s here...”

Joseph smiled hesitantly, “Yeah, she’s here. She’s asleep. What’s your name?”

“Dennis,” he said stiffly.

“I was helping Hedwig make eggs, Dennis,” Joseph said. “I think he burned himself on the pan,”

Dennis glared, though Joseph had a feeling that wasn’t directed towards him, “Hedwig’s very clumsy. He shouldn’t be allowed near things like that,”

Joseph nodded sheepishly. “I’m sorry about that. He seemed like he knew what he was doing,”

“If he tries to again, tell him I said no. He-um-he listens to me...” Dennis stared down again at his hand.

The door to Casey and Joseph’s room opened slowly. Joseph looked back to see Casey emerge. The last twinkles of sleep were still evident in her face. “Hey Casey-,” Joseph started, but when he looked back all he saw was a sniffling Hedwig.

“Casey,” Hedwig whined, “I burned my hand,”

Casey woke right out of her stupor with feigned sadness and a reassuring rub on the back, “I think you’re okay. Go run your hand under some cold water,”

Joseph chuckled, confused and also not. He went to the stove and flipped the now well cooked egg.

* * *

 

Joseph had decided to go into town to see if there was anything in the news about them, as well as to pick up some stuff for Kevin’s hand. More or less, Joseph was using it as an excuse to get out of the cabin.

Somewhere between cleaning up breakfast and Jenga, Hedwig had changed from Mr. Pritchard to Jade and back to Hedwig. Apparently they were all in some argument that Pritchard was trying to quell. Joseph had been fascinated, but the fascination wore off and became irritation as Hedwig and Jade busted out into an all-out screaming match.

Casey sat off to the side, unsure what to do.

She mentioned in passing that Hedwig seemed to be the youngest out of everyone and that Jade was most likely the close second. As far as Casey could grasp, Jade was at least sixteen and according to Barry, “A Drama Queen”. 

Joseph had no experience with little sisters or just _women_ in general. He hadn't even attempted to mediate what they'd gotten into.

He had left Casey for a second, promising to make it back in a timely fashion. He needed some air, but he wasn’t as dumb as to leave her alone for too long. Joseph slipped into the convenience store, glanced at the newspapers and the little TV they had in the back. The station was always on the news and was graciously reporting nothing of interest. No one had talked to him, no one had stopped to ask him anything. Joseph was grateful. By the time he made it home, it was getting dark. The wind had picked up.

Since this morning the sky had begun to turn gray with clouds. B.T. had said it would snow.

Joseph unlocked the cabin door and tumbled inside.

The screaming by now had subsided. Casey was nestled in a chair, reading from a crinkly paperback. Kevin was sitting down, shuffling cards.

“I got some aloe vera gel for your hand,” he said, “Nothing going on in town, either,” Joseph said to Casey. She looked up from her book and nodded.

“Thanks Joey,”

Joseph returned her thanks and set the gel in the bathroom.

Kevin had barely reacted to Joseph entering the cabin, nor had he reacted to Joseph speaking to him.

Casey shrugged, “He’s quiet,” was all she managed to gather.

Joseph also shrugged, just thankful that the screaming was done. He sat besides Casey, she scooted to the side, allowing him more room. Casey smiled and placed her socked-feet into his lap as Joseph picked a book off the table.

Kevin’s head perked up, glanced at Joseph and Casey and then looked back down at the book. His shoulders twitched a little, he blinked, and became someone else.

The one who emerged had an air of... _conservatism_ around them. Not exactly uptight, somewhere just a step below that. Kevin’s back straightened, his face adopted a put-on smile. He rose in a very feminine manner, acting as if he was wearing a skirt.

“Now ain’t y’all snug as a bug,” Kevin said, his voice was high and sugary sweet.

Casey glanced at Joseph, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“Lil’ old Norma knows how it is with y’all yungin’. Sometimes it’s hard to keep y’alls hands to yourselves. But outta respect for the dinosaurs like lil’ ol me-,” Norma paused to laugh at her joke, “-would y’all mind keeping a little space between y’all?”

Joseph felt his face grow hot. Casey slid her feet off of his lap and placed them on the floor, crossing her ankles. Norma smiled brilliantly, she clasped her hands together. “Perfect, sorry bout embarrassing y’all like that. Why don’t I make y’all a lil something to eat? Y’all like potpie?”

Casey and Joseph had no time to refuse, because Norma was already in the kitchen, grabbing ingredients and prepping the oven.

In little less than an hour Casey and Joseph were seated at the table, a steaming pot pie sat in a dish before them. Norma handed them a paper plate and forks. “I normally say grace, is y’all okay with that?”

Joseph and Casey nodded in response. Norma took Joseph’s hand in one of her’s and Casey’s hand in her other. “Dear Lord, thank you for what we are about to receive. Thank you for all our blessings and the company of good friends, amen.”

“Amen” Casey and Joseph mumbled together.

“Alright, dig-in now. Don’t be shy,” Norma beamed with pride. Joseph had scooped some of the food onto Casey’s plate, then to his. Norma served herself last. The trio ate in silence for an almost uncomfortably long time.

Norma was expressive, even as she ate. She asked questions, breaking the silence. Most of them were aimed towards Joseph. Where had Joseph gone to school, where was he raised, how long had he ran a security business with his dad.

There were questions for Casey, like what she had gone to college for. But in comparison, her questions were blander than Joseph’s.

 _Safer_ , Casey thought.

When they finished up, Joseph had done the dishes, under Norma’s watchful eye.

Casey hadn’t had much to do for herself, so she decided to take a shower.

She turned the water on, letting it run until it became somewhat tolerable.

Aimlessly, she played with her bottles of shampoo and body wash, picking them up and turning them. Her mind wandered as she did so, as it always had when she had to strip for showers.

Her hand ran across the collection of scars that speckled her belly. Her fingers found a particular one; the first. She didn’t remember the incident that gave it to her-besides the fact that it was John-but she remembered the messy aftermath. Casey had only been twelve when it happened and at that point she had thought the worse John could do was grab her a little too hard.

Casey shook her head, trying to escape the clutches of her bad memories.

She looked at the mirror that had begun to fog over from the steam. Her shower was ready.

Casey took her soaps and stepped into the water, letting it wash away the bad thoughts.

She had escaped the rough and ruthless hands of John, had even locked them away forever. But the scars that marked her body were ever-present reminders of the pain she had endured. One day when she thought she was stronger she would finally embrace the scars, not as reminders of her hardship. Not even as trophies and awards for surviving. One day the scar would just be skin, and Casey would relish in the body that she had wholly won back from John. 

One day. 

For Casey's sake, she hoped it would be soon. 

* * *

 

When she emerged, Norma was rearranging the stack of board games piled on the coffee table as Joseph read one of the books.

“Jo-jo, honey could you get that little thing for Norma?” Norma asked, pointing to the stray marker from Connect- Four.

Joseph plucked it off the end table where it lay and handed it to her, “Bless you, Sweetheart,” Norma said. Norma placed the piece back and smiled, “All back together,” she finished, placing the top back on the box.

Casey was toweling off her hair when she came to sit down next to Joseph on the couch. Norma smiled at her, “You cut your hair, honey-bunches?” Norma asked, noticing the length of Casey’s hair.

Casey touched it, “Yeah a few years ago, I liked the style so I’ve been keeping it this long,”

“It suits you, hon. You can see your face a lot more,”

Norma picked up the board games and walked into The Roach Room. She shuffled around for a minute and then there was a soft _thump_.

Curiously, Joseph and Casey rose to investigate.

Kevin was sitting on his butt, reclining back. His arms supported him as his legs sprawled out in front of him.

“Ah geez,” said Barry.

“Did you fall?” Asked Joseph.

“Something like that,” Barry replied. Joseph offered his hand, Barry took it and pulled himself up.

“Smells like potpie,” Barry commented, “Was Norma just here,”

The corner of Casey’s mouth quirked, “Yeah, she made it,”

Barry grinned, “Sounds like her. She doesn’t know how to make anything else, honestly,” Barry led the two out of the room and back into the small living room. “You know who _can_ cook though? Rakel, his food was always the best,”

Joseph raised an eyebrow, “Will he make an appearance?”

Barry’s grin widened, “An appearance? What are we, Prince? I like this guy, Casey. He’s flattering,”

Joseph pretended to act humble as Casey playfully pinched his arm.

“I dunno if Rakel will ever be out. He’s a little more-,” Barry waved his hands around, “-Touchy?”

“What do you mean,” Casey prompted.

“He's more forgetful about who he is. Doesn't always remember we're all the same body,” Barry said. 

Casey and Joseph looked for further explanation, but Barry waved them off. “Don’t get hung up on it, kids,”. He led the pair out to the living room and whistled, “Norma _was_ here,” he said mildly impressed.

Norma had more or less redecorated the living-room. Where there was once a hastily moved into cabin now was a homey, even _cute_ living space.

Casey had noticed it too now, looking around and not even recognizing the place.

Barry moved around the wood coffee table and plopped down on the couch. Casey and Joseph followed, sitting on either side of him.

There was a small moment the three of them shared in silence.

Peaceful, content. These were just a few words that rattled in Casey’s mind, which made it all the more difficult when she had to push out what came next.

“So...what are we gonna do after we leave this cabin,”

It was as if all the pleasant feeling was sucked out of the room in that moment. No one said a word, only sighs and little grunts of dissatisfaction.

The years following Casey’s abduction had made her brave, so she broke the silence first. “I’m starting my job in Pittsburgh in a few weeks, Joseph’s going back to the shop in Philly,” Casey said.

Barry nodded, “If they’re looking for me, I gotta disappear,”.

Joseph scratched the back of his head, “You wanna fake your death, again?”

Barry snorted and shook his head. The corner of Joseph’s mouth perked up, Casey saw and smiled a little too. “I dunno if they’ll fall for it a second time,” Barry joked, “I wouldn’t even know _how_ to do it a second time,”

Casey rolled her shoulders. Her face became tight, something clicked. Joseph had noticed it because he asked, “What’s up Case,”

“How _did_ you survive the gunshot wound?” she asked, “I know you just woke up in an ER or something, but who would even do that for you. That doctor?”

Barry shrank back in his seat, “I mean-I don’t know,”

“Yeah and why would they do that,” Joseph added, “They let my dad and Elijah Price die,”

The three of them exchanged glances, an air of uncertainty crept into the cabin.

“Someone’s up to something,” Joseph said.

Casey and Barry cringed, knowing he was absolutely right.

* * *

 

The next day was spent watching windows and listening to the radio (courtesy of the digital clock).

Kevin had remained as Barry for the better part of the day, making small talk with Joseph about how to dress and complimenting Casey on her haircut and such. By lunch, Barry had switched to Hedwig who made the long, cold day pass quickly. After lunch when it was time to clean up, Hedwig had given the light to Norma who sang Dolly Parton songs and went on and on about the bet way to clean cast iron.

Norma faded into B.T., briefly. He said something about the weather and let someone else take over. Jade took his place and shamelessly flirted with Joseph before dragging Casey away to gossip about nothing. Ansel filled in for Jade when she’s had her fill of gossip. He’s was shy around Casey and mumbled his way through an hour. Mr. Pritchard appeared and he and Joseph opened a dialog about  _Grave of Fireflies._  Casey had no idea what the movie was, but Joseph was animated and Mr. Prtichard was vehemently protective of the film. Goddard popped in quickly to say goodnight to his companions. Finally, Barry returned with an easy smile and a joke for Joseph. They had eaten dinner quietly, cleaned up quietly, and settled in for a long night.

Not too soon after they had finished, Hedwig had returned, roping Joseph and Casey into seemingly numerous rounds of CandyLand and Mouse Trap.

“I’m not even-,” Hedwig yawned, “-sleepy,”.

Casey looked at Joseph with a knowing smirk and walked Hedwig to The Roach Room (which was quickly becoming just Kevin’s Room).

“Sleep tight, Heg,” Casey said, laying Hedwig down on the twin-sized mattress.

Hedwig pulled the covers up to his chin and smiled lazily, “G’night Casey,”

Casey ran her hand through his hair until Hedwig’s eyes closed. And when she was for certain he was asleep, she padded out of the room and shut the door behind her.

Joseph was sitting on the couch, reading one of the three paperbacks from the coffee table. Casey sat down next to Joseph and gave his arm a squeeze.

“Hedwig asleep?” asked Joseph without looking up from the book. There was a certain way Joseph liked to slouch when he sat that reminded Casey of an old man. And though Casey had never met the man formally, she had the feeling David Dunn would have done something similar.

“Yeah he’s all tuckered out,” she said, resting her head on Joseph’s shoulder.

Joseph was still reading the book, but had leaned his own head on top of her’s. “He’s a cool kid,”.

Casey snorted, “You say that like he’s real,”

“Isn’t he?” Joseph asked, glancing down at her from an angle.

“He is,” Casey answered, “They all are. They’re him,”

Joseph hummed noncommittally. Casey simply let her head rest on Joseph’s shoulder for a time, letting her thoughts wander. Her concentration was broken by Joseph who had shifted and closed his book.

“That’s enough of that,” Joseph said, setting the paperback down on the coffee table.

“What’s that about?”

Joseph made a face, “It’s some romance novel, there’s a couple out in the woods. They’re like friends but they wanna be more. They get stuck in a cabin during a thunderstorm, someone almost gets ganked by a bear,”

Casey smiled as Joseph explained.

“-Anyways, I’m at the part where they’re sitting around after the bear and stuff and they’re just talking about some dramatic nonsense. I dunno, I never really liked romance novels. To much filler,”

“What kinda stuff do you read, besides leads for bad guys for your dad to take down,”

“I used to be into Harry Potter,” Joseph admitted, “And then I discovered girls,”

Casey snorted.

“What about you?”

“Didn’t really like reading,” Casey admitted, “I could never sit around my house for too long and do nothing. And if I did have time to do that, it would make me anxious,".

Joseph knew Casey was always touchy about past. He had mostly avoided them the four years that they had known each other. He knew her in other ways- he liked to think- ways that didn’t need to be said. When it came to knowing Casey, observation was always the number one way to learn anything about her.

He couldn’t tell you what her favorite color was, or what she liked to eat. But he could tell you she loved early fall because it reminded her of her dad. And he could say for certain that she liked to drive, for long periods of time because it gave her freedom. That-in his opinion- was more than enough.

They were close, they were friends.

Joseph wondered a little if there was something more there.

Foolish as it was, it was nice to imagine that there could have been something. His dad would have liked Casey, he was sure.

But it wouldn’t happen. Casey was twenty-two, Joseph was thirty. And while the age difference wasn’t astronomical there was still so much Casey needed to live before she even gave romance a passing thought. Plus he wouldn’t even dream of trying to overstep his bounds.

He wouldn’t hurt her like that.

Casey was his friend, that was the end of it.

At least Joseph wished that was the end of it.

* * *

 

Kevin had not fallen fully asleep.

Hedwig was busy snoozing at The Light.

It left Dennis just a tiny window where he could steal the spot and be out before anyone saw him.

He moved Hedwig and stepped in, immediately recognizing that he was in bed. He sat up in the dark- he hated the dark- and listened. He shifted, aiming to get out to see _her_.

But her laugh had stopped him cold, it ignited something in his chest. It made his throat tight.

Another voice- he knew this one, he was the only other person in the cabin- had laughed with her. They spoke of nothing and Dennis had felt his face grow hot with embarrassment.

He lied back down on the bed, absently looking at the dusty ceiling. _I need to clean that,_ Dennis thought absently as his consciousness faded back to the little room in Kevin’s head.

He closed his eyes and let go of The Light.

“You’ll just ruin it again,” Patricia said, welcoming him back to his seat. “Like the last one,”

Dennis tried to ignore her as he sat down. Patricia did not look at him and he was grateful for it. He looked at her, a smirk rested on her face. His scowl deepened.

“We’re not made for this,” she said, “Let the others enjoy this silly _vacation_ while they can,”

Behind their chairs, at the back of the room, a monster growled.

“We have more important plans...don't we Barry?"

Dennis looked at his companion, sitting down just on the other side of Patricia.

Barry's eyes were far away, bereft of any emotion. He blinked slowly and inhaled deeply, he looked regretful. And he hadn't even done anything, yet. 

"Yeah. We do," Barry said, nodding. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh thanks for everyone reading along with me and enjoying this story! I'm hoping this was a good enough cliff hanger to keep you interested until the next chapter. It probably won't be until after May 10th if all goes well.   
> Leave me a comment and let me know what you guys thought!
> 
> Also as for Kevin's new look there's a few pictures of him around the time of shooting X-Men: Days of Future's Past that I imagine him with in this fic. Let's just hope no one goes crazy with clippers again.


	4. I Got the Feeling That Something Ain't Right

Barry thought he was good at keeping secrets.

 _Thought_ was the operative word.

He thought he could keep Kevin safe, he thought he could control everything, he thought he had it all figured out.

“How much longer can we keep this from them,” asked Ansel, his voice shrill.

“When they find out they’re gonna leave us, just like-,”

“-They won’t know shit if you keep your trap shut-,”

“Will Casey and Joseph not be our friends anymore-,”

Barry’s head pounded as every voice added into the conversation with their panicked dialogue.

The Beast growled and laughed, Barry rolled his eyes.

He’d since stopped being afraid of the _thing_ that lived in the back of Kevin’s mind. Now The Beast was just another overly dramatic room-mate. Jade had even thought at one point that she could drop him, small as she was.

The Beast wasn’t to be feared. But he was still dangerous.

The others had at least agreed upon that notion. It was an easy vote to lock up the psychopath in the darkest depths of Kevin’s psyche and destroy the key. After Raven Hill, Barry thought everything could finally get back to normal, whatever that was for Kevin.

But Patricia was Patricia. She always had a plan. Always had some _scheme._

“ _It’s in my nature,” said the Scorpion to the Frog._

 

Why was he thinking of that?

 

“Hedwig if you’re done with the book, put it back up on the shelf,” Casey said, entering the living room.

Barry’s brow furrowed, he hadn’t realized he was in The Light. He imagined Hedwig getting bored of the picture scarce fables and nonchalantly dragged a distracted Barry into his chair. He

grinned and closed the book.

“Heggie actually stepped out,” Barry said.

Casey mouthed an “oh”, and hugged him. “Where you been?”

Barry shrugged, “Ah, you know, _around,”_

Casey smiled, “Well, pasta’s all done, come eat a little before you and Joseph go fix the truck,”

Barry nodded, walking past Casey to get Joseph.

The frigid air bit at Barry’s ears and nose. He shivered, despite the heavy winter coat he wore, and looked at the truck. Joseph was leaned over the opened hood, making an unsatisfied face.

“Joey, come inside. Case made lunch,”

Joseph nodded and closed the hood of the truck.

He wiped his hands on a rag and followed Barry indoors.

“What’s up with it?”

“I have a feeling something is dislodged,” Joseph said, going into the kitchen to wash his hands.

Barry’s brows raised, amused he asked, “Oh, is that all,”

Joseph grinned and lightly bumped Barry on his shoulder, “I was never really great with cars, my dad was. Computers are more my thing,”

“Maybe I’ll get Goddard, he’s good with everything. Electronics, mechanics, anything else that ends in ‘-nics’,” Barry said.

Barry and Joseph were seated at the table where Casey had already set the pot of pasta. She passed them paper plates and utensils and everyone began to scoop the noodles from the pot.

“Snow’s coming down tonight,” B.T. had said before disappearing.

Casey nodded, “Yeah, the temperature’s gonna drop another twenty degrees,”

Barry grimaced, “God, if I never see another snowflake, it’ll be too soon,” he looked at Casey, “Babygirl, remind me why you chose to stay in this cold-as-shit state. Couldn’t you go somewhere warm? Like Florida or California or literally anywhere else but here,”

Casey smiled, “I don’t wanna be broke, Barry,”

“So what you end up shacking up with homeless people, it builds character,” said Jade as she chuckled.

“Yeah, plus you get to see movie stars,” Joseph added, making Jade laugh a little harder. Though Casey knew it was only just to make herself seem more “cute” to him. “Hey-you, me, and Kat should all go one day,” Jade proposed, “We’ll make it a girl’s trip. Go to the beach and stuff,”

Joseph and Casey exchanged looks and she smiled fondly at Jade, “Yeah, that sounds good,” she agreed.

“Perfect, I wanna go to Rodeo Drive-,”

“You’re not going _anywhere_ dressed like that, Jadey. And it’s row- _day_ -oh, not row-de-oh,”

“You’re such a damn elitist snob, Barry,”

“Better than being an elitist _slob,_ wit-cha cheeta-print sweats and Ugg boots. Basic bitch,”

At this, Joseph cackled and Jade flew into a fury. She and Barry spent the rest of lunch trading verbal blows while Casey looked on, shaking her head and grinning.

 

 

Joseph had relayed to Casey that he’d need to go into town to pick up some stuff for the truck. Casey had been alright with it, until Jalin had heard and insisted on coming with him.

“Bro, c’mon,” Jalin whine, grabbing Casey by the shoulders. “Like, me and Joe’ll pop in real quick, get some stuff, we fix the truck, easy dawg,”

Casey looked at Joseph apprehensively.

Jalin was one of Kevin’s more boisterous personalities, he wasn’t a hot-head, just loud. And when they needed to keep a mostly low-profile, she wasn’t entirely confident in letting him and Joseph go.

“If you keep it chill-,” Casey said, adding in slang she normally wouldn’t because Jalin seemed to only understand language like that, “-I’ll let you,”

Jalin exploded into a celebratory display, “Bro, on- _Jah,_ imma be cool,” he promised.

“On what?” Joseph asked.

Casey shook her head, “Don’t ask, just take him,”

Jalin however was already outside of the cabin, psyching himself up for a walk down to the general store.

“You remember what I told you, if he gets a little too much,”

Joseph nodded.

“I don’t know if it’ll still work, but you can try,”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll call out Norma and she’ll beat some sense into him,”

Casey chortled and patted him on the shoulder, “You better go before Jalin screams the whole camp grounds down,”

 

 

Joseph had come to know each of the alters over the few days they had spent together.

He’d been amazed that everyone had been so individual, each had their own quirks and interests. Everyone had their own manner of speaking and moving. They even had preferences of how to style their hair, as Joseph had recently just found out.

“So yeah like I wanted to shave our head, but like Jade said she wanted to keep it long, and then like Norma tried giving us some yee-yee ass haircut and I was like ‘bich-’, so I took the clippers and just went at it 'bruh. I was fuckin’ in it man,” Jalin explained as they walked the well-worn path to the general store.

Joseph had laughed as Jalin talked. He had reminded Joseph so strongly of someone he knew from college. “Yeah-but dawg-we kept fighting over the clippers and like the ‘do came out fucked, man. Like, I looked like I took my ass to the shop and just said, ‘fuck me up, Mr. Barber Man’,”

Jalin had made the walk feel shorter and Joseph was thankful for it.

They made it to the store without much problem. Joseph found the items he needed. Jalin was content to just follow Joseph around and be somewhere out of the cabin.

Joseph was at the register paying for his items when he heard the automated door bell ring. It was followed by a gush of cold air and the solid thud of boots.

The cashier glanced over and froze. Joseph quirked an eyebrow and looked over his shoulder at Jalin.

A light seemed to fade from Jalin’s eyes as someone else took over.

“Joseph,” was all that had escaped Kevin’s lips. It was a whisper, barely audible against the sound of the sound of the store’s air conditioning.

“Empty out the register,” said a man who punctuated his words with a familiar _click._

Joseph felt this throat tighten, his hands shook.

“Jos-,” Kevin tried again.

“Shut the fuck up,” the man barked, turning his attention to Kevin.

Joseph finally turned, looking at the man.

The stranger was brandishing a handgun, his face was obscured by a bandanna wrapped around the lower portion of his face.

Joseph stared into the man’s eyes, his mind was racing.

Joseph glanced at Kevin who was shaking in the presence of the barrel. The cashier nervously began to babble, trying to get the armed man to lower his weapon. Joseph was only fractionally concerned with the noise as he watched a wave of emotions wash over Kevin’s face. Fear, anger, confusion, surprise, and then…

Kevin’s eyes began to dilate. His teeth clenched.

“Kevin, no-,” Joseph managed to choke out.

The Beast took a shaky step towards the man.

“Back the fuck up,” the man warned, backing away.

“K-Kevin, wait,”

“I will shoot you, you hear me?” the man’s voice wavered.

“You will...perish,” The Beast uttered.

Things seemed to happen in slow-motion for Joseph.

The man had stumbled back, he squeezed the trigger. The Beast roared and charged the man as the cashier cowered behind the counter. Joseph had closed his eyes and stepped between The Beast and the man. He grabbed for anything, hoping to move the man out of The Beast’s way.

And then, as if time had needed to catch up, everything moved quickly. Joseph had somehow ended up on the floor. The armed man was below him, crying out in pain. Joseph glanced up and stared at a stunned looking Kevin.

“Wha-,” Joseph pushed himself up, then looked down, realizing where his hand was.

Gripped tightly around the muzzle of the gun, Joseph held the weapon in his hand. He released his grip on the gun, finger by finger. His eyes only grew wider as each finger revealed a groove underneath each of them. The muzzle had been squished, as if it were made of aluminum. The pad of his palm where his thumb connected to his hand was stained by a dark black ring, but there was no wound, no blood, not even soreness.

The man on the floor clutched his wrist pathetically as the cashier peeked out from behind the counter.

Joseph glanced at Kevin, who was now Barry. “We need to go-,”

Joseph turned to the cashier. “You got cameras in here?”

Dumbstruck, the cashier nodded.

“Where do you keep the footage,”

The cashier pointed to an ancient looking device. Joseph gave a half-hearted smile and hopped the counter, taking the device, and hopped back over. “Thanks,”

Barry shot the cashier a genial smile as he walked over the would-be-robber and followed Joseph out into the cold, dark night.

 

 

Barry was eerily silent the walk back to the cabin. He barely looked over his shoulder at Joseph. Barely spoke.

When he did, it was in short, clipped sentences.

Silently, Joseph had wondered if Kevin had changed alters without Joseph noticing.

The machine in Joseph’s arms had felt as light as a feather. Oddly, Joseph wondered if the incident at the store was what had caused it. He had carried machines like this before, and while they were not hard to move, they certainty were not as light as this machine had felt.

Joseph’s eyes trailed off into the distance.

“There’s tire tracks,” Kevin commented.

Joseph stopped, “What?”

“Tracks, there’s tire tracks,” Kevin repeated, this time Joseph was certain it was Dennis speaking.

Joseph gazed off into the horizon, looking for where the tire tracks had left their prints in the layer of freshly fallen snow. His stomach dropped when he saw them disappear over a hill towards the direction of Casey’s cabin.

“Let’s go,” Joseph said, pressing forward.

Dennis followed closely behind, matching Joseph’s stride.

When they reached the cabin, Casey was curled up on the couch.

Her eyes widened at Joseph, her attention was focused on the electrical box in his arms.

“Joe-,”

“It’s a long story,” he set the pile of metal and wires on the floor as Dennis came in behind him. His presence was as stiff and imposing as a gust of winter’s wind.

Casey reacted as if he was and held her breath as he locked the door behind him and peered out the window. Dennis’s eyes caught her’s and he grimaced. The light was taken over by Jade.

“Casey, like, Jesus Christ-,” Jade started, “Did you see anyone?”

Casey raised an eyebrow, “Was I supposed to?”

“There’s tire tracks leading to the cabin,” Joseph said, his voice and face grave. “Did you use the truck, maybe?”

“No, someone needed to turn around. They used the driveway,” Casey said matter-of-factly. Her lips turned into a hard line as she crossed her arms over her chest. A dent in her brow formed as she looked at Jade then at Joseph. “Am I _supposed_ to be looking for someone?”

Joseph’s tough resolve had crumbled and he felt his cheeks grow red, “We-I think I misjudged what was going on,”

“We thought you were in trouble,” Jade said, dumping herself on the couch. “It’s just there was this robber at the convenience store and-,”

“What!”

Joseph rolled his eyes, “She means-,”

“She means we were held up at gun point, we weren’t robbed-,” Barry cut in.

Casey’s eyes grew wider, “What!”, she yelled even louder.

“Can I explain it? Please?” Joseph begged, sitting down on the opposite side of Casey.

“Sure, I mean you’re the one who crushed the dude’s gun like a soda can,” Jade said.

Casey’s eyes were as wide as saucers. She shook her head in disbelief. Joseph took a deep breath and explained the situation with the gun and wanting to step in between Kevin and man. He left out the part of seeing The Beast, worried that might further complicate things.

When Joseph was done he let Casey digest the story. She was speechless, but her mind seemed to be occupied with piecing something together. What exactly that thing was had been beyond Joseph.

“He crushed that gun like it was nothin’ Case, check his hands,” Barry said.

Casey quizzically looked at Barry then at Joseph who surrendered his palms.

“We all heard that guy shoot, but Joey’s hands are fine,” Barry added.

Casey listened as Barry spoke, inspecting Joseph’s hands for something, “No gunpowder burns, nothing...So you bent the gun? Were you even trying?” Casey asked, curiously.

Joseph shook his head.

“I’ve known you for four years and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Casey said.

“I’ve been _me_ for thirty something years and I’ve never seen it,” Joseph replied.

“Perhaps it’s a genetic condition that is delayed in it’s presence, as was haemophilia to the descendants of Queen Victoria of Englan-,” Orwell was cut off as Barry stole back control.

“What caused it?” Casey asked, sitting back int the old couch.

Joseph shrugged,“I don’t know,”

“Could you do it again?” Casey asked.

“I-,”

“Yeah! Try picking up the fridge,” Hedwig said, his enthusiasm blooming across his whole body. His expression of excitement died as he was reprimanded back “inside” Kevin’s head.

“That’s not a bad idea, we should test it,” Barry said.

“Joseph nodded, “We will. But not tonight,”

Casey agreed, “It’s getting late, and I think it’s best we’re ready to leave in case someone comes looking,”

Barry, Casey, and Joseph all nodded. Casey then retreated to the room she and Joseph shared and began gathering essentials. She moved them to the truck as Barry helped and Joseph stayed in the living room, studying the map of the area. When the task had been finished, Casey had said she would turn in, Barry had agreed to keep watch first, Joseph would switch with him. If there hadn’t been anything by that morning then they would pack up the rest of the stuff and leave before anyone had gotten the chance to stop by.

Barry took his post by the window and dimmed the lights as Casey headed off to sleep.

Joseph lingered for a few minutes, telling Casey he needed to decompress.

Casey had let him and hugged him before slipping into the room.

“Thank you for not telling her about him,” Barry had said softly, incase Casey was still within earshot. 

Joseph shrugged, “I figured it would be better for everyone,”

“None of us can control him,” Barry said, “He’s too strong,”

Joseph felt his hands shake again, just as they had in the store. “Would he-would he hurt us?”

Barry looked at Joseph with a strange expression. It felt as if he was caught halfway between pity and amusement. “Joseph, promise me if he ever tries to hurt Casey or anyone ever again you’ll stop him,”

At that moment, Joseph wanted nothing more than to ask every question he had ever had for Kevin. But he knew better. So instead he nodded, “Sure,”

“No, Joseph I need you to _commit_ ,” Barry pressed, looking Joseph directly in the face, “Whatever you have to do. I don’t care. Even if it means-,”

“-Barry,” Joseph cut in, but the light of a passing car had lit the cabin for a second. A glint in Barry’s eyes had caught that light and Joseph knew this wasn’t Barry. He wasn’t sure at all who it was, honestly. But he had an idea.

“Please,” whispered someone’s voice from Kevin’s lips, “Please. We can’t hurt anyone else,”

Joseph swallowed, his hands were shaking furiously now. “Okay,” he choked out. 

“Thank you. Don’t tell the others,” said the voice as the person who definitely _was_ Barry bled back into Kevin’s body.

“Joey, you alright?” asked Barry, staring at his friend.

Joseph feigned a small smile, “I’m okay,”. He felt as if he had shrunk down, back into the body of an eleven year old boy promising to keep his dad's secret. Only this time, the secret was far more dangerous. 

“Get some sleep, I’ll come wake you in a few hours,”

Joseph said nothing more and just crawled into bed. He did not sleep but tried to anyways, knowing he would need the rest.

As he closed his eyes the words of Elijah Price’s mother wormed their way into his head.

_This is the moment we are let in on the universe._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, it took a while but here we are! Quite a ways to go and I'm so thankful to everyone who really blew this story up! It's really amazing to me so thanks everyone. 
> 
> Also, yeah. Joseph has powers. This idea has been rattling around in my mind for a long time since the movies came out and I've read forums and theory videos about the counter-parts for our villains and hero having powers too. And where supers go, a certain 3 leaf clovered society follows...
> 
> Please leave me reviews and questions. I'll do a little Q&A thing next chapter. Till then, have a great week and I'll see you soon.


	5. And I'm Wondering How I'll get Down the Stairs

“Who let _him_ out?” asked Norma, scowling at The Group.

Hedwig looked away guiltily, his only saving grace was that he wasn’t anywhere near The Beast when he had been unleashed. But Norma’s stare was normally so piercing, even if one hadn’t been guilty of anything, she could make them feel as such.

 

“No one _let_ him out, Norm, he’s a monster remember?” Jade snapped, crossing her arms. “He can just break his damn chains and run a goddamn muck,”

“Watch your tongue, young lady,” Patricia admonished from the back of the room.

Jade scoffed, “Bite me,” she called over her shoulder to the back of the room.

“Hey,” Barry said, “Cool it woulda, Jadey?”

“It’s no one’s fault,” Dennis added calmly.

“Oh shit, now this asshole get to talk?” Ansel said, rolling his eyes.

“We are all acting like children, squabbling as the Middle Eastern Shieks had-,”

“Orwell, do me a favor and like shut the fuck up, ‘bruh-,”

“We’re getting off topic,” Barry said, calling The Group to attention. He took a deep breath.

“Kevin was in trouble, so The Beast took over to protect Kevin-,”

“Why are you trying to justify his actions, Barry? He doesn’t give a goddamn about Kevin’s _welfare,”_ said Bernice, standing up from her chair. Her eyes were bright green and piercing and always made Barry feel so exposed when she narrowed them like that. “Say what you mean, Barry. He was _hungry,”._

 

The Group descended into chaos as they began to yell and scream over one another.

Barry shot a glance at Patricia and Dennis at the back of the room. In the darkness just beyond their chairs were two glowing yellow eyes. Chains rattled as The Beast paced.

Patricia nodded her head, motioning Barry to go forward.

“Bernice, listen,” Barry said, picking her out from the rest.

Bernice had stopped, the flow of voices followed.

At one time, she and Barry were thick as thieves. But after Ravenhill, things had changed. In the argument Barry had with Dennis, everyone was quick to choose sides. No one actually sided with Dennis, rather it was _against_ Barry.

Bernice had joined that camp. How pointless it all seemed now since he and Dennis were on the same side for once.

“Nothing’s working Barry. We can’t just pretend everything’s okay, we need to change things,” she had said. But at the time, Barry was scared. He hadn’t wanted to mix up any of the routines. Structure, he’d been told, was what Kevin needed. He was still scared to change things even now, though now for an entirely different reason.

No one had caught on yet that it was Barry who had released The Beast.

It was easy enough for them to be distracted. When Jalin had control, everyone liked to watch. Jalin held some of Kevin’s best memories and being with him was like stepping into the sun after a long winter.

Their eyes were glued to him, watching him make Casey and Joseph laugh. Then when the robber pointed the gun at them, everyone was so quick to throw themselves into The Light, thinking they could all save Kevin. No one even noticed Barry had slipped to the back of the room and unlocked the monster from his chains.

If they’d let The Beast save Kevin, then maybe they’d think differently about him. That’s what Patricia had planned. The robber was a well received coincidence to her. But she was irked when Joseph had instead come to the rescue. Their moment to shine had disappeared and who knew when another chance would occur. There would be no “convincing” everyone The Beast could be a greater good if that good was supposedly already there.

“I knew that boy would be trouble,” Patricia murmured to Dennis as Barry spoke to Bernice and the rest.

Dennis hummed and crossed him arms.

So now the task was to unify everyone. And that would start with Bernice.

Loudmouthed, outgoing Bernice. She had a strong moral compass, but could be swayed if she was convinced that a decision was made in the best interest of Kevin. More importantly, she could sway everyone else too.

But she would never speak to Dennis or Patricia ever, luckily she would always speak to Barry.

“Bernie, look, The Beast was created because Kevin needed something bigger than all of us to keep him safe,” Barry said to her.

“That robber wasn’t gonna shoot us, he was just waving the gun around,” Bernice argued.

“Yeah well shit happens,” Barry said, “And last time I checked, I’m not bullet proof. Are you?”

Bernice rolled her eyes, “Yeah, great so he doesn’t shoot us and The Beast does what? Huh? You’re gonna sit back and watch him murder more people? It’s not a problem he’s protecting us or whatever he thinks he’s doing. He just won’t stop!”

“He’s not bad, he just doesn’t know what good is. He doesn’t know it like we do,” Barry insisted.

“What do we do then, give that thing an etiquette class? Teach him how to use a spoon and fork?” Bernice scoffed.

Barry shrugged, “Dr. Fletcher always talked about integrating,”

Bernice and The Group went silent, “I cannot believe what you just said,”

“He’s us Bernie. He’s us, just like I’m Kevin and you’re Kevin, and all of us are Kevin. We’re the same thing. And it’s time I stop dividing everyone. I made a mistake before. You were right, we need to change,” Barry pleaded.

Bernice looked at him, her face was twisted in a look of disgust and disappointment, “That thing isn’t _me,”_

“ _Bernice-_ _,”_

“Barry. Say whatever the hell you want about The Beast and helping Kevin but I think it’s time you face the facts. We have done some unspeakable shit and now _Kevin’s_ paying for it,” Bernice shook her head, “I stepped down at his protector because I couldn’t keep him safe. I couldn’t stop _Her_...” Bernice shook her head, trying to stuff down the bad memories.

“I think it’s time we be honest,” piped up Polly, who held tight to Felicia’s hand. Felicia nodded in agreement.

“Barry, you’ve lead us towards a very stable life for a long time,” said Goddard with a solemn nod of his head.

“But every age has it’s end, as evident with the numerous falls and rises of the dynasty of ancient China,” added Orwell.

“You can’t protect us, Barry. Not from that thing,” Bernice continued.

“What are you talking about?” Barry asked, his voice trembling.

“We can’t trust you to make the right decisions for us anymore,” Bernice said sadly, “Barry, we have to ban you from The Light,"

* * *

 

Joseph sat up in bed, staring at the metal bed frame. If he thought hard enough, maybe he could bend the frame. A sort of childish glee dawned on him as he gripped the smooth metal in his hands and squeezed.

Nothing.

Joseph tried harder, squeezing the metal once again.

Nothing.

He frowned.

Accepting defeat, Joseph slid out of bed and dressed.

Casey had woke before him and packed up most of their belongings. She decided to leave the canned food, not wanting to be bothered with the extra cargo. Besides, if she ever decided to come back, it would be nice to have minor rations.

Thanks to B.T., Casey had numerous lists of things around the cabin. She used them to check off items to take and items to leave.

Joseph had found her in the process of finishing one of those lists as he entered the living room.

She glanced at him, nearly frowning at him. “Are you ready to go?” Casey asked.

Joseph looked down at his attire and realized he was still dressed in his sleepwear. “Sorry, I got caught up in stuff,”

Casey, bemused, quirked an eyebrow.

“I was trying to bend the bed frame,”

She grinned and rolled her eyes, “Any luck?”

He shook his head, “I have no idea what’s happening. Last night I bent that gun like it was nothing. This morning I can’t even dent the bed frame,”

Casey made a ‘hmm’ noise, “Why do you think that is?”

Joseph shrugged, “Could be I’m not trying. I mean maybe I’m not really pushing myself,”

“Could be,” Casey echoed. “We can see what happens after we get out of here,”

“What about Kevin,”

Casey paused, her face went blank, then she said, “He’s coming with me,”

“When did you decide this?” Joseph asked.

Casey was quiet for a moment, “Last night,” she finally said. “I think he’s safer with someone to look out for him,”

Joseph balked at Casey’s words. His brows knit together, “You’re not worried?”

“Why should I be?”

“He’s...he’s not exactly in a good place right now,” Joseph said.

“Which is why he needs someone,” Casey explained.

“Don’t you think he’ll freak out if you just spring that on him,” Joseph prodded.

It was Casey’s turn now to frown, “We’ve talked about it before. Anyways I don't know why you’re suddenly worried. I thought you’d support me,”

“I do. I agree Kevin needs help but-,”

“Then why are you sounding like you don’t want him to come with me-,”

“ _Because,_ Casey,” Joseph said firmly, “He’s our friend but he’s still dangerous,”

Casey took a physical step away from Joseph.

She didn’t speak, didn’t look away from him. He had almost felt guilty as he was engulfed by the near suffocating silence. What had even happened? How had the conversation gone so quickly down hill?

If Casey left with Kevin, who knew what could happen to them. They were a whole city away. Even if it were just a city away, any horrible scenario he could imagine could take place. Casey should have known that better than anyone. In a matter of hours her whole world had been turned on it’s head. Joseph and his budding powers would be no use to anyone then.

And Kevin, someone inside of Kevin had made Joseph promise to protect Casey. No matter what.

“Let him come with me back to Philly,” Joseph offered when too much time had passed.

“Are you insane? They’ll lock him up if they find him,” Casey argued.

“Yeah, but I can handle him better,” Joseph countered.

“Handle him? You barely know him,”

“You barely know him too,” Joseph said, raising his voice.

“I know what it’s like to be him,” Casey affirmed. “We’re-,”

“You _understand_ him, Case. That’s not the same as knowing him. I wish it were but it’s not,”

The pair fell back into silence. It was broken only by a deep sigh from Casey. “Let’s just finish packing,” she mumbled, moving past Joseph towards the back of the cabin.

Joseph squeezed his eyes shut, stalking back to the confines of their room. He felt his hands grow warm. The blood underneath his skin seemed to boil in his hands. He gripped the edge of the bed, looking for the soothing coolness of the metal to calm him.

He was met with a low groan and surprise when he found that the metal bar was crushed under the force of his hands.

* * *

 

Casey climbed into the truck and shut the door. She took a deep breath and rested her hands on the wheel, trying to find an anchor for her thoughts.

There was so much she had wanted to say to Joseph in that moment, but she knew if she needed to convince him to do what she needed she’d have to get it together. The damn indecision had once again halted her and her progress.

She knew the right buttons to push, but what order? What combination? It was all too much for Casey, too many possibilities, too many possible ways to fail.

Dr. Staple informed her of that much…

* * *

 

“Don’t worry ‘bout it. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll call out Norma and she’ll beat some sense into him,”

Casey chortled and patted him on the shoulder, “You better go before Jalin screams the whole camp grounds down,”

Casey had watched the boys leave then wandered the cabin for a bit. She hadn’t had much to do and the silence was making her uneasy, so she flipped on the radio and opened a book and tried not to watch the clock as she waited for their return.

The reading had failed to capture her interest and the radio had become almost unbearably grating, so when she heard footsteps crunching the snow on the ground outside, she all but jumped at the door. Her common sense must have escaped her.

Later, she would go on to kick herself for letting her guard down, for getting too comfortable. However at the moment she opened the door, she was confronted with Ellie Staple.

The older woman smiled. “It’s been a while Casey,”

Casey’s mind immediately conjured an image of white walls and long corridors. She remembered the honest, pleading way the doctor’s eyes begged Casey to stay. Back then Casey wasn’t strong enough to take Ellie up on her plea to help Kevin. Casey was still raw from the events prior, still reeling from the turn around of events. And most notably to her; something about the doctor was off.

Later, she would chalk up the feelings to her trauma finally manifesting itself. But Casey knew something else was afoot.

She had always had that feeling about people. It had started with her Uncle John, which she ignored. After John’s abuse had happened, Casey never again ignored her feelings. She used it on her teachers, getting instant reads on them, figuring out just what to say to drive them over the edge for her to get detention. She also used it on John on occasion, to tell him what he wanted to hear so he wouldn’t hurt her. Though by that time she hadn’t needed any of her _intuition._ His intentions by then were clear as day.

It was the same with Staple. Underneath the cool, placid demeanor Casey had sensed desperation and anger. It came off in waves from the older woman. To Casey, it wasn’t so much as reading someone’s mind, it was more mundane; simpler. She had always thought of it as observing deer like she had on hunting trips.

“Can I come in?” Staple asked.

_Casey, tell her to leave._

Casey stood in the doorway, frozen.

_Casey. Tell her to leave. Now._

It was as if she was turned into a living statue. Her body locked up, refusing to move or give way.

That was the hard part though.

Here she was, a well of information at her disposal, and all she could do was freeze. Ironically, just like a deer in the headlights.

Staple fixed her with an odd look and pushed past Casey’s stiff body, into the cabin.

Looking out into the open at the snow, Casey cursed herself and turned around. She shut the door behind her and sat down in the loveseat to the side of the couch.

“I have two armed men posted outside of this cabin ready to take a shot if things get out of hand,” Staple explained.

Still, Casey said nothing. Her mouth refused to move to form words, her tongue lied dead in her mouth.

“Chatty, I see,” Staple joked, a soft smile appearing.

Casey simply nodded and waited for Staple to continue.

“Four years ago, Kevin was taken off the property of Raven Hill by some unknown individuals. We want to get him back,” she stated, “He’ll be institutionalized, as per the orders of my organization,”

“That didn’t happen before,” Casey finally managed, “You _shot_ him before,”

Staple pouted, “I assure you, that was a last resort method. He took down over five of our personnel at the hospital plus a half dozen armed S.W.A.T officers. He was dangerous and he had to be neutralized,”

“So you’re gonna ‘neutralize’ him again,” Casey had said.

“I want his rehabilitation as much as you do,” Staple promised, “He’s sick,”

Casey’s brow furrowed. “That might’ve worked on them, but not me,” she said, finding the courage she had lacked at the front door, “I’ve seen the footage. I know what you were telling them. I know what you’re a part of,”.

Staple’s lips rolled in and formed a hard line. Her eyes roamed and evaluated Casey silently. An odd smile crept onto her face and once again her expression was soft, pleasant. “Elephants are seen as peaceful, gentle creatures. But in nature, it’s not uncommon to have two or three aggressive elephants running loose. They terrorize villagers, put lives of people and animals alike at risk. Often, hunters resort to all kinds of tricks and methods to get the elephants away from everyone else. Now, again, elephants aren’t _known_ for this kind of behavior. Simply it happens. But if all else fails, the elephant is killed,”

Casey raised an eyebrow.

“Kevin is our elephant,” Staple clarified, “And a very aggressive one at that. He’s a danger to everyone around him, Casey. I know you don’t see him that way, because-,”

“Because he’s not,” Casey said.

Staple scoffed. “You’re going to look at the people he’s killed then look me in the eyes and tell me that he’s not a threat? I’m trying to protect people,” said Staple, “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt,”.

“Just Kevin, though. Right?”

Staple sniffed, she changed her position on the couch and smoothed down her pants. Casey could feel the tension rolling off the older woman and knew what was coming.

“Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made for the greater good,” Staple reasoned.

“Doesn’t make it right,” Casey mumbled.

“‘Right’ doesn’t always feel right,” She answered.

“You need to leave,” Casey said, standing up. The boys would be home soon. Kevin wouldn’t react well to seeing the entourage outside.

Staple glanced at the window and for a second, Casey’s blood ran cold. She had wondered for a moment if she would have to expect a bullet in her back. But instead, Staple just stood and nodded.

“Okay,” said Staple, “I can see I wore out my welcome,”

She moved over to the front door, Casey stood and watched her.

“We’ll be in touch,” Staple said. Then she reached into her pocket and pulled out a card for Casey. The older woman kept her distance, letting Casey cross the room when she felt comfortable enough.

Casey slowly made her way over to Staple. She took the card from the woman’s fingers and looked it over.

‘Dr. Ellie Staple’ was printed neatly on the front of the card, right above ‘Ravenhill Memorial Hospital’. On the back was an email, a telephone, and a fax. Below that was another phone number, written in a neat script.

“That’s my personal number,” Staple said, “If you need help, not just with Kevin, I want you to call me. Doesn’t matter where you are, what time of day. Call me and I’ll come find you,” said the doctor.

Casey made a face and nodded the woman off. Staple had made a sound, somewhere between a snort and a scoff. “I’m serious, Casey,”

Unconvinced, Casey remained a stoic pillar against Staple’s smile.

“I did some research on you too, Casey. You may think you’re just another side character in this story, but I assure you, you’re just like Kevin. We haven’t recorded this many of your kind all in one sitting before. Some generations we’re lucky to have one. But six...It’s incredible,” Staple said.

Casey felt her stomach tighten.

“And to be so closely connected, it’s an anomaly,” Staple said, her gaze shifting to the window. “Have you ever wondered how you were able to know so much about someone without even having said a word to them? It’s like magic. You just know these things,” Staple continued.

Casey didn’t realize it, but her feet were dragging her forward, bringing her closer to Staple.

“In school when you met your teachers for the first time you know exactly what to say to make them throw you in detention for an afternoon or two. Or how you knew how to play Kevin when he kidnapped you. It’s just second nature to you. But you didn’t do those things right away, did you?” Staple asked, looking into Casey’s eyes. “It took you some time to find the _courage_ to, didn’t it?"

The younger girl shrugged, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”

Staple smiled, “I suppose when you _do,_ you’ll give me a call,”

Casey had nothing to say. She just crossed her arms and waited for Staple to leave. When she had exited the cabin, she watched Staple climb into a black SUV and watched the car make it’s way down the snowed over path, leaving tracks in the snow.

_This is the moment we are let in on the universe..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again! Thanks everyone who left me a comment and kudos. I am so grateful, without you guys I don't know how I'd be able to post. 
> 
> I'm so glad we're finally GETTING somewhere. Starting now we get into the nitty gritty.
> 
> Have a good week and I'll see you all soon!


	6. Losing Control, yeah, I'm All Over the Place

“Are we there yet?” asked Hedwig.

Joseph smiled, looking at Hedwig in the back seat of the truck through his rear-view mirror. “Almost Bud,”

In the passenger seat beside him, Casey had been silent. That much Joseph had expected, welcomed even as he had no interest in fighting her.

“Hey look, a snowman,” said Hedwig, smiling as the truck passed a family enjoying the snow.

Hedwig had been in control for most of the morning. Joseph hadn’t found it odd, until the morning had started to bleed into the afternoon and Hedwig was still firmly in The Light. Normally, Barry, Norma, or Jade would have peaked out to spend lunch with Casey and Joseph. But they were nowhere to be seen.

Joseph had brushed it off to being stuck in a car. Jalin had once mentioned sitting through long car rides scared half the Alters to death. It had made many of them anxious. But not Hedwig. He was everyone’s fearless, little brother. Hedwig could stand the little day-to-day activities that normally rattled everyone else so heavily. Silently, Joseph wondered if that’s why he had still been allowed control, even after he had conspired with The Horde. Then again, as Casey had informed in, it wasn’t like everyone had much of a choice. Hedwig was able to steal The Light whenever he wanted.

“Let’s stop,” Casey mumbled. It had been the first word she had spoken since they had said goodbye to her cabin.

“Where?” Joseph asked, trying to keep his tone even.

“The next gas station or something,” she mumbled again.

“Can I get a candy-bar,” Hedwig asked with glee.

“You have snacks,” Casey said, looking over her shoulder at him.

Hedwig pouted and pushed himself into the truck’s upholstery.

Joseph cracked a smile, “Hey Hedwig, maybe if you can find me a squirrel or something I’ll get you something when we stop-,”

“-Don’t do that,” Casey snapped.

“Do-,”

“Don’t just go over my head after I said no,” Casey said, turning to glare at Joseph.

“All he wants is candy-bar, Case,”

“Yeah? Jade’s diabetic-,”

“-Well Jade’s not here right now,”

“Lucky her, I wouldn’t want to be either,”

The truck settled into an uncomfortable silence.

Even as dense as Hedwig could sometimes be, he knew that there was something wrong.

_The adults are talking, stay out of it Kevin._

Kevin’s body shook as Hedwig scampered off from The Light, Ansel emerged, watching the scene unfold before him.

“You always think you know better than me,” Casey said.

“Well I’m the one who’s always gotta come up with a plan-,” Joseph shot back.

“-So that gives you the right to completely disregard what I’m saying?”

“Disregard? Casey. It’s a fucking candy-bar, get over it,”

“You don’t always know what’s best,” Casey seethed.

“I never claimed that I did. Look, are we still talking about-,”

“Ah...Joey you missed the turn off for the gas station,” Ansel said, cutting into the argument.

Casey and Joseph quieted down in an instant. A heat rose to Joseph and Casey’s faces as they remembered their passenger in the back seat. Joseph silently made a U-turn and rolled into the gas station. He parked, then waited.

Casey glanced at him, unbuckled her seat belt, and disappeared inside the station.

Ansel sat awkwardly in the back, not wanting to antagonize Joseph any further. When the tension had finally dwindled, Joseph let out a deep sigh.

“I should go talk to her-,”

“Um, wait. Is that okay? Can you wait out here, let me,” Ansel said.

Joseph didn’t speak, but nodded, letting Ansel get out of the car.

When he entered, Casey was staring aimlessly at the wall of beef jerky. Ansel pursed his lips and stood beside her, “I know what you’re thinking,” he started. Casey gave him the barest of side glances as he continued. “Just to confirm; yes, that’s definitely beef jerky,”.

Casey didn’t smile, nor laugh. She simply reached for a bag and continued around the store.

“Casey-,”

“Don’t start please,”

“Well, I feel like I have to say _some-,_ ”

“No, you don’t. Joseph and I had an argument, so what. It happens, my therapist even says it healthy,” Casey replied, “And anyway, it’s over,”

“For a moment,” Ansel replied as Casey grabbed a bag of sour candies.

“I’m sorry we did that in front of Hedwig. I’m sure that wasn’t fun,”

Ansel shrugged, “Heggie doesn’t have parent’s, so for all he knows it was just like an old married couple yelling at each other-,”

“Is that what we sound like?” Casey asked, “Like an old, married couple?”

Ansel was silent, “I mean to Heggie...anyways,” said Ansel, trailing off.

“I know Joseph just wants to do what’s best-,” Casey started. But Ansel held up a hand and stopped her.

“Look, I’m really glad you’re able to see both sides of this thing. I am, I know The Group is, for sure. But, Case I mean...you have to pick a side. You stand in the middle of a road and you’re gonna get hit,”

Casey was quiet, her eyes narrowed as her brow scrunched. When Ansel had sensed her confusion, he added, “You gotta do what’s good for Casey at the end of the day. Not good for everyone, or Joseph, or even Kevin,”. Ansel squeezed her hand for good measure, “Remember that, please?”

She nodded, gripping the back of jerky tight in her hand.

“Let’s get going, it’ll get dark soon,” Ansel said, pushing her towards the front of the store.

“Right,” Casey mumbled as she followed.

* * *

 

Joseph had apologized when Casey had returned. She had accepted, but Joseph knew nothing had _really_ been fixed. His ex-girlfriend had done similar things. He would apologize-even if he hadn’t done anything- and she would eat up the apology, but some part of him knew that in a small way the relationship had been broken then and there. The small crack had been made, seemingly fixed by the cheap tape of apologies. Eventually after enough cracks, the whole thing had been shattered.

Fractured, broken, _split._

Joseph felt like that was happening now.

Casey had taken the apology, but it was an empty victory for him. If one would even call it that.

Their relationship had changed over the course of a night, like sand shifting beneath his feet. He felt the first inklings of fear and uncertainty bleed into his idea of him and Casey.

Never mind whatever convoluted romantic feelings he had for her, their friendship was now at stake. The safety of everyone involved was at stake.

He thought that much as he drove, Casey unaware and asleep in the back seat.

Ansel had taken over for Hedwig for most of the ride. It was nearing midnight now, they would have been in Pittsburgh within the hour. B.T. had suggested some obscure route to avoid the worst of the snow, but somewhere along the way, Joseph had gotten lost and had to backtrack.

By they time they had righted themselves it was late and Casey had decided to retreat to the back of the truck.

Ansel was good company. He was quiet, but could hold a conversation. He had a special affinity for Peter Jackson films- the good ones _and_ the bad ones- and was generally easy to be around.

Talking to him, Joseph could understand why he was born when Kevin attended college. Ansel was palatable enough to be liked, but common enough to be forgotten. He reminded Joseph of a vanilla wafer who’s taste and presence is forgotten shortly after the wafer is dissolved.

Along the road had been a rest stop. It was older, barely looked like it had been serviced in twenty years. Joseph had suggested the side of the road for Ansel to relieve himself, but in the biting cold and wind, Ansel preferred to take his chances with the dirty bathroom.

He quickly disappeared inside, but when he failed to emerge after fifteen minutes, Joseph had grown worried.

He shot a weary glance at Casey who was still asleep in the backseat.

Figuring no one would be out here in the middle of the night, Joseph locked up the car, left his phone with Casey, and braved the bathroom.

The crumbling exterior of the building had actually been slightly intimidating to him. He had never been afraid of any structure before, but something about this rest stop had rubbed him the wrong way. Horror movies and the images of monsters obscured by darkness colored his thoughts. He tried to remind himself that he was now endowed with super strength. If there were any kind of monsters hiding just beyond a corner, he could take them.

Sure he could...

Joseph took a deep breath as he looked around the place. The building was divided into three parts. On either side were bathrooms for men and women. The middle was more or less a long hall that contained a vending machine, water fountains, and an old TV that was playing a local news station.

The TV’s volume had been ear piercingly loud, amplified by the sound bouncing off the tile walls. It was under this and the humming of the florescent lights that Joseph had heard a strangled plea for help. It could only be Ansel, he knew that much.

He walked to the men’s side, following the voice.

As he entered, he saw Ansel standing in front of a urinal. His body was frozen but his face was live and expressive.

“Dennis, just step away-,”

“I have to- I need-,”

“It’s not your problem-,” Ansel offered. His body began to shake as if it were going to split in two.

“I have to- I gotta go, I gotta-,”

“D-dennis,” Joseph said, approaching the man, slowly.

“Joseph,” Dennis coughed out. His eyes were wide and his face pale. “J-Joseph,”

“Dennis, are you-,”

“This place, Joseph it’s-,” Dennis’s words died on his tongue as he continued to shook, “I need to go- I n-need,”

“Dennis, let’s go then,” Joseph said, “Just… let’s go back to the car,”

“I can’t- this is so- I wanna leave,” Dennis mumbled, bouncing back and forth between wanting to say and wanting to leave. “It’s filthy. Penelope will kill us if I leave-,"

Penelope, that was his mother. Joseph had remembered what he’d read in Kevin’s file at Ravenhill. Joseph licked his lips, trying to find the right thing to say.

“Dennis, listen, Casey...” Joseph started casually, “Casey’s the car. Alone right now, she’s asleep,”

Dennis paused, letting Joseph’s words sink in. “Casey...she’s alone?”

Joseph nodded, “Let’s get back to her okay? It’s ten degrees out and the heater isn’t on,”

“You left her?” Dennis asked, his voice a step down from accusatory. His body turned to face Joseph and Joseph was pleased to see his body unfrozen.

“Yes, I did. She needs us to get back now, she needs you,” Joseph added.

Dennis shook his head, “She doesn’t need me. Nobody needs me,”

“Kevin does,”

“Kevin _did,_ ” Dennis corrected.

Joseph shrugged, “Dennis, let’s go,” he tried again. “Casey is cold and alone, and probably wondering where we are,”

Dennis nodded. His eyes squeezed shut as she took a shaky step towards Joseph. “If I don’t see...maybe I can make it out of here,”

Joseph nodded, taking Dennis’s shoulder and leading him from the bathroom and out into the pristine, clean snow.

When Dennis opened his eyes he seemed to settle back into his body. He inhaled deeply, letting the air chill the insides of his lungs before he and Joseph made their way back to the truck.

Casey was still fast asleep, having only moved to shift herself to her back.

Joseph reached in towards the back seat and plucked his phone from her side as well as his keys. Dennis had settled in rigidly in the passenger seat next to Joseph.

The younger man said nothing in response and climbed into the truck.

When they reached the road, the steady hum of the engine and the low crackling of the radio had filled most of the silence. Dennis showed no interest in speaking to Joseph. Joseph wasn’t sure if that was because Dennis didn’t like him or that he just wasn’t the talking type.

Of all the Alters, Joseph had known Dennis the least. Even Patricia he’d known via what the others said about her. Jade had spoken about him once, calling him “creepy”. Barry had mentioned that Dennis had “issues”. Their words coupled with the few times Joseph had interacted with Dennis did not mesh. Mostly, Dennis just seemed constantly annoyed.

Joseph tried to make small talk, “Are you feeling better,”

“Yes, thank you,” Dennis answered.

“Not too much longer,” Joseph added, glancing at Dennis.

Dennis nodded and sunk into his chair. “I’m sorry about back there,”

“Don’t be, I know you have a thing about being clean-,”

“It’s not about the mess, it’s about the cleaning,” Dennis butted in. “I don’t care about the mess, but Penelope she-,”

Dennis seized up, making Joseph jump. His eyes shot back and forth between Kevin’s body and the road.

When Kevin had settled, he simply reached for the radio and shut it off. He looked at Joseph and nodded. Joseph nodded back, unsure of what to say.

Suddenly, Kevin’s eyes rolled into his head as Dennis emerged again. A hand flew up to his chest as he looked around, “Who was that?”

A chill ran up Joseph’s spine as Dennis’s words sunk in. Joseph shrugged, “I-,”

Dennis’s face began to droop, “I’m starting to lose time,” he admitted. “I have no idea who takes the light and when, or where the go-”. Joseph had listened, but the words didn’t sound as if they were Dennis’s.

“Is Dennis allowed on the seat?” asked Joseph.

The silence that had begun to creep between them seemed to stretch on forever.

“No,” Dennis said after a time. “I’m not...supposed to be here without being _useful,_ ”

“What does that mean?”

“It means what it means,” Dennis stated, “I’m not made to enjoy myself. That’s something for Kat or Hedwig or Jalin. I’m just meant to work,”

Joseph mulled over his words as Dennis looked at the back seat.

Casey was still blissfully asleep, unaware of the conversation going on just inches from her. Maybe Joseph was imaging things, maybe it was a trick of the light. But he he could have sworn he had seen a small smile of relief on Dennis’s face as he looked at Casey.

It made Joseph feel a way he hadn’t felt since he was very young. It was that nearly indescribable sensation, like an itch on the inside of his organs he just couldn’t scratch. It made him antsy, nearly shaky with new found energy.

“Is she okay?” Dennis asked.

“Yeah, tired I guess. Been a long day,” Joseph said.

“She needs a good rest,” said Dennis.

“We all do,”

Dennis inhaled a deep breath, “We’re getting pretty close to Pittsburgh,” he commented, “When we-,”

Casey had muttered something, half asleep, half awake, she rose to an upright position. Joseph had glanced into his rear view mirror and semi-frowned.

For a moment he expected Dennis to dissipate into someone else. But strangely, he remained. He was as still as statue and nearly as silent.

Casey rubbed her eyes and yawned. She took a look out the windows before speaking to Joseph. “How much longer?”

“About forty-five mintues, give or take,” Joseph said.

Casey nodded as she scratched her hands and head. Her eyes drifted to Dennis and she smiled gently. But as she looked, the realization dawned on her that Kevin had not been the same person as he had been when she fell asleep. Her smile had faded and a dent had formed in Dennis’s brow.

“Dennis?” Casey questioned.

“Yeah,” Dennis answered, his tone was flat and defeated.

“Been a while,” She said.

Dennis nodded. Joseph kept his eyes on the road, trying to block out whatever second-hand embarrassment that seemed to be brewing.

“I was about to tell Joseph what I wanted to do before we reached Pittsburgh,” Dennis said, “I want be dropped off at a town near it. That way I don’t have you follow you two and-,”

“Come live with me,” Casey said, cutting Dennis off.

The older man paused, taken aback. Dennis had never been very expressive, but his eyes had said it all.

Joseph waited with baited breath.

“You need help, Dennis. Kevin needs help. You need someone to have your back. Let me help you,” Casey urged.

  
“Why...why would you do that for me. After everything we’ve done-,”

“Because Kevin deserves it. You deserve it,”

“That’s...-Casey that’s wrong,”

“But it’s not, I promise,” she pleaded. “You’re not all alone in the world like you think you are. We’re stronger together,” Casey said. And for some reason, Joseph had gotten the notion that wasn’t just meant for Dennis or Kevin.

Casey glanced into the rear view mirror to meet Joseph’s eyes before looking at Dennis.

“Live with me, we can get you help,”

Dennis shook his head, “Casey you don’t understand,”

“Then explain it,” She said expectantly.

Dennis had turned away then. He stared out into the pitch black dark of the road and closed his eyes, trying to retrieve his memories.

“I’ve tried it before and it didn’t work,” said Dennis. “There was a woman,”

Casey raised a brow, as did Joseph.

“Not in that way. She was an older woman. A grandma living alone on the east side of Philly. She took us in and put us up. She didn’t pity us, just saw us as someone who needed help. She saw Hedwig and Jade and Barry and the others,” Dennis said, “But most of all, she saw me,”

Dennis crossed his arms over his chest, “We took care of each other for two years but...it got too much. As it always does. So I left, because I didn’t want to hurt her,”

Dennis ran a hand through his hair and tugged at his roots, “It’s what always happens. I always ruin everything I touch. No matter how clean I get it, I ruin it. I tried to prove myself once before and all it did was hurt people. I don’t wanna hurt people anymore. It's better for everyone if I'm alone,”

Casey had become dead silent, Joseph meanwhile had kept his breathing even and steady.

No one said a word until they had stopped for gas one last time. Everyone had gotten out of the car that time to stretch their legs and get coffee for the cold.

Joseph had gone into the store, leaving Casey and Dennis alone.

Dennis had kept his distance from her as they stood outside the truck and shivered in the cold. Through chattering teeth and violent shaking, Casey had managed Dennis’s name. And when he turned, he looked to see her-beautiful, even if that shouldn’t be what he should be thinking about- with blue lips and flushed red cheeks.

Her beautiful face had twisted to one of annoyance and disappointment. Dennis had accepted it, thankful that she had looked his way. Then she began to speak.

“It’s too late to change the past, Dennis. Just because you drag it around with you and feel bad about it won’t change or make up for it either. But if you’re letting that stop you from being someone better-because it’s easier to keep telling yourself you’re bad than accept responsibility- then I don’t know. Maybe you’re right, maybe you are better off on your own,”

Joseph had emerged from the gas station before Dennis could get a word in. Casey silently climbed into the truck, following Joseph.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone. I want to thank everyone for their support! I really enjoy reading your comments, they make me so flattered. This chapter was a little slow since I'm working on a few other fics at the moment. Anyways, tell me how you like this chapter. I hope everyone had a great Monday. 
> 
> The next few chapters will be very talky and kinda "nonsensical" given the end of Chapter 6 but I promise, I haven't forgotten about the mouse (Our very own Ellie Staple).


	7. It's so Hard to Keep This Smile From My Face

“Dennis, sweetheart, can you bring up the groceries,”

Dennis had caught himself smiling and quickly reverted back to a frown before the old woman could see.

“Enid, did you wipe your feet before you came in?”

Dennis’s eyes zeroed in on the footprints on the wood floor. Puddles. The frown became genuine the longer he stared at the puddles. He heard Enid snort in the kitchen.

“No,” she said, childishly, mirthfully.

“You’re driving me nuts,” Dennis mumbled, trying to ignore the dark rings that had formed in the puddles.

Water and _mud._ Dennis sneered, walking into the kitchen. He gave a quick glance to elderly Enid who was preparing dinner.

“Tick-tock, child. My milk is spoiling,” Enid chided as Dennis placed paper towels over the puddles of water.

“You’re going to fall and break your hip, God forbid,” Dennis said, reminding Enid of her most recent misadventure.

The older woman remained quiet. It was a sign for Dennis to hurry and go, so he did.

Dennis grabbed his raincoat and laced up his boots and hurried downstairs to retrieve the rest of Enid’s groceries. This had been his life on Wednesday nights for the last sixteen months.

Dennis didn’t mind, however. He enjoyed routine, perhaps more so than even B.T. and Goddard.

Routines were predictable, stable, and most importantly, _clean._

Enid, his roommate, however was anything but.

The day they met does not stick out particularly in his mind. Surprisingly, he didn’t at all remember, no matter how hard he tried. All he remembered was the kindly old woman buying Hedwig a hot dog.

The rain had started, B.T. had jumped out and made a comment on the rain. Enid had made a face, but had informed B.T. that she was quite aware of what and how a thunderstorm was formed. After all, she’d been there at the _very_ _first._

The joke had made Barry laugh, had made Jade grin, had made Mr. Pritchard smile, and had perplexed Dennis.

Maybe she was just as senile as Kevin was “crazy”. Maybe she just hadn’t cared that the nine-year-old boy became an amateur meteorologist in an instant. Somewhere along the way, Hedwig had regained The Light, as he always did. And before Kevin knew it, he was in the woman’s home, sitting among her things in her tiny apartment.

The rest was split up over two or three alters. Orwell remembered Enid’s books and her singing, Kat remembered her cooking and her stories of the Vietnam War. Luke had danced with her in the kitchen and had seen pictures of Enid’s family. But Dennis had remembered something more precious. Something so valuable that he hadn’t fully been aware of the worth it possessed.

Not until he had wasted it. Not until Patricia had found out and had held it over his head.

Dennis had taken over a few months after everyone had lost interest in the old woman. The Alters- different as they all were- were weak in their commitments when it came to holding The Light. Barry, Bernice, and Dennis were the only ones who could hold total control.

But Bernice had shied from The Light when Kevin had grown out of his teenage years and Barry was usurped by The Beast.

This left Dennis- strong, steadfast, dependable Dennis- again.

No one had stepped up to claim control. No one was strong enough. No one but Dennis.

_My big man, handsome boy…_

He would wake from cold sweats in the middle of the night, heaving until the vomit fell from his mouth or the tears would run. And then-after cleaning until his hands were sore- he would wander out to the living room. And she was there.

Always with a smile, always with tea, Enid would rest in her favorite armchair and beckon him to sit with her.

Enid was like them, in a way.

She was an insomniac since she was sixteen (which she always liked to remind was _years_ ago). As a result, she never slept completely. Her mind it seemed, could never rest.

Dennis knew then _what_ had made him like her. And the ‘how’ that solidified the notion had peppered their cohabitation over the time they spent together.

Right now, Dennis was in the middle of bringing in her groceries.

He had taken them all in one trip, because he was capable of carrying it all at once which never ceased to entertain Enid.

When he entered the apartment, the place had smelled of frying garlic, onions, and something else he couldn’t place.

Enid was not Italian, had not even had a drop of Italian blood in her veins. But she would claim under oath (legal and religious) that her bolognese was without a doubt authentic and as close as one could get to “the real thing”.

Orwell could probably disprove her claim, but considering how delicious the meal was, there was no reason to. Besides, he doubted she would let him help if he corrected her cooking methods.

“There you are, was beginning to think you finally ran away,” She said, running a used knife under the tap.

“Would you be upset if I did,”

“You’d be back,” Enid snarked, “They always come back,”.

The soft smile returned to Dennis’s face as he took a serrated knife in his hand and began to slice a baguette.

“Hey, kid. Watch it,” Enid warned as she washed the cutting board.

“I’m fine,” He replied.

“Yeah you say that...,” Enid said.

Dennis had stopped wearing glasses a few months back. They had snapped in half, but he also tried to remind himself that it was all in his head. Kevin’s eyes were fine, just as his insulin levels had been, just like his breathing had been. And yet, it was still difficult for him to see. And sometimes Felicia would complain about her asthma and Jade would swear up and down the block she needed her shot.

Even now items before him were blurred, he could make somethings out, but by and large they were heavily blurred.

Yes it had been in his head, _his_ own head at least. Kevin may not had needed glasses, but Dennis did.

“How was work,” Enid asked.

Work?

Somewhere in the distance, Dennis swore he could hear the snorting and low growls of the tiger cubs in the Philadelphia Zoo. He pushed the thought away from him and answered Enid.

“Been Busy at Lazlo’s bar,” Dennis said, “I guess he took your advice,”

Enid hummed with satisfaction, “I told him extending Happy Hours was how you hook ‘em in,”

Dennis nodded in agreement. When the bread was sliced up how he liked it, he began to prepare them for the oven. Dennis never considered himself a cook. Patricia, Bernice, even Barry had all enjoyed cooking. Not Dennis, his meals had always been practical and simple. But Enid had pushed him lately to make more exciting choices.

To put it how she had…

_Choices with seasoning, Dennis._

He chuckled, despite himself. Enid had heard and had joined, unaware of what had caused him to laugh, probably uncaring as well.

“Grub’s about done. Go pop those in the oven and set the table,”

“Yes ma’am,” Dennis replied dutifully.

When all was said and done, the two sat down to a nice dinner.

Many things in Dennis’s life had not been perfect.

But eating a nice meal with Enid, hearing the rain gently tap on the roof and windows, settling into the long night…

Things had not been perfect, but they had been better than they had been in a while.

Which was exactly why it had to end.

* * *

 

The sound of the truck’s engine going dead had woken Hedwig from his sleep.

Casey and Joseph had been whispering to each other ad Hedwig gained his barrings.

He looked to his left, then his right. There was nothing but concrete walls and other cars and vaguely, Hedwig recognized it as some kind of garage.

“W’are we?” Hedwig slurred, sitting up right.

“My apartment,” Casey said nonchalantly. “We’re in the parking garage right now,”

“Yeah,” Joseph added with an emotion Hedwig was sure wasn’t positive.

Casey had exited the truck and Joseph heaved a heavy sigh.

“What’s up, Joe?” Hedwig leaned forward with concern for his friend.

“Hedwig, girls are confusing,” Joseph uttered.

Hedwig’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. His mouth twisted to the side and when Joseph had realized what he said hadn’t clarifed anything for the mentally younger man; he smiled.

Joseph reached back and mussed the boy’s hair.

“Forget about it, kid. You wanna use the bathroom or something? Casey’s gonna show us her apartment,”

“Oh good yeah, I told Dennis I had to go earlier, but he like didn’t,” Hedwig added, hopping out of the truck.

Casey’s apartment was both barren and full.

The packed boxes had stood in pillars, stacked upon each other. The couch, the bed, and other furniture had been pushed into one corner. Everything else was placed in one general area in the living room. This was all she had, besides a few more odds and ends she had in a storage not far from her new place.

Despite all her things and belongings being present to fill the void of the apartment, nothing was put away _properly_ and the apartment had a cold quality to it.

Maybe it was how strikingly similar it looked to John’s place. Maybe she just couldn’t stand the silence devoid of even the humming of the AC or appliances. Casey could not stand in the apartment alone and sought our Joseph and Kevin.

She exited the apartment, searching for Joseph and Kevin’s voices in the halls.

Her ears strained to hear their voices as she stood alone in the hallway.

A door across the hall opened and out came a smaller woman with blonde hair. Her hair was cut short, accentuating the dangly, bright earrings she wore.

“Oh!” She said with surprise, “I didn’t expect to see anyone so late,” said the woman.

“Moving in,” Casey said with an easy smile. Her eyes roamed the woman, Casey sensed no tension in her neighbor’s demeanor, but she did pick up that she hated being compared to her mother. The way the other woman shifted erratically from foot to foot had given Casey the impression she had a lot of energy, but it wasn’t the fun kind. Perhaps her new neighbor had a temper.

The blonde woman moved towards her, beaming. “New neighbors? Oh I love it when that happens. I’m Alyssa,” she said, holding out her hand. Casey took her hand in hers and gave Alyssa a firm handshake.

“Good to meet you-,” A faint but distinct _thudthud thuuud_ had caught Casey’s attention and her head turned in direction of the sound.

Joseph had walked into view. No Kevin in sight.

Casey’s eyes shot daggers at Joseph.

He forced a tight smile onto his face, “Hey Case,”

“Hey. Where is he?” Casey asked.

“ _Ansel_ is taking a walk,”

Casey looked back at Alyssa, “Ah, I guess I gotta go,”

“Oh? Ah-sure, that’s alright. We’re neighbors, we’ll see each other around,” said the other woman. “I’ll see you later,” she mumbled, walking down the hall in the opposite direction.

Casey turned back to Joseph and heaved a sigh. “Joseph-,”

“If you’re gonna yell at me again can you at least not do it out here in the hallway,”

“Why would you leave him alone?”

“Because he’s an adult that doesn’t want to be caught as much as we don’t want him too,” Joseph said, “He’s a grown man,”

“He’s a child,”

“ _Hedwig_ is a child. And he’s a damn smart one if you ask me,”

Casey shook her head. She tossed him the keys to her apartment, shaking her head. “I’m going to look for him,”

Joseph caught the keys and closed his eyes, a defeated feeling dropped onto his shoulders as Casey moved further and further from him. “He’s downstairs near the community garden,” Joseph called after her.

When she had disappeared, he moved slowly to her apartment door.

Joseph took a minute to take in the apartment, assessing the things Casey had. Off in the corner, Joseph had noticed a door to a balcony. Curious, he moved closer to it, inspecting the frame.

Casey lived on the second floor of the building. Even if it was a little higher and less likely to be a point of entry, Joseph still thought about suggesting a Dunn security system. He could install it quick the next time he came up, which would be soon since Casey had left a few more items in Joseph’s house. He would also get her up to date on some home security devices and gadgets to use while she lived alone.

All this had gone through his head just as a cry for help rang in his ears.

* * *

Casey had taken in a deep breath as she walked off the anger and frustration that had taken root in her chest the last three days.

Joseph’s conflicting attitude, Kevin’s wellbeing, and the looming threat of Staple had made her extremely touchy and irritated. The worst part of it all had been the inability to make a decision.

Had she told Joseph and Kevin about her meeting with Staple, she wasn’t sure how’d they react. And if she remained quiet, who knew what could happen. A whole buffet of endless and horrible ways everything could go was laid out before her and she had been too disgusted and afraid to pick something.

_You didn’t do anything wrong. You refused to help her._

Casey knew that much was true.

_But you kept it a secret too long, now Kevin wouldn’t forgive you._

Maybe that was also true.

_Joseph is like David. What would happen to him if Staple got to him._

_What would happen if Staple got to_ you.

No, living like this wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

What was the point of being able to have “super perception” if your greatest weakness was indecision.

She had to tell someone what was going on. She needed to tell someone. Renewed with a sudden wave of relief, Casey had scanned the communal gardens for Kevin.

She came upon a small plot of dirty, surrounded by wood fences taller than Casey. The entrance was a wood door with a simple hinge and a sign that listed the hours for the garden. Casey entered and scanned the grounds for Kevin.

She found him in a corner of the lot, crouching over a bed of flowers.

“Kevin?” asked Casey as she approached.

Whoever he was had looked up at her and smiled. He beckoned her closer with an outstretched palm. Casey took his hand and squatted.

She looked at him with curiosity. Kevin’s eyes held a light in them, a humor that made Casey think he knew something she didn’t. Perhaps he had.

He held her hand as he pointed to a patch of tall and bright blue flowers. “Larkspur,” Kevin whispered. “It’s so cold, I’m surprised they’re still alive,”. Kevin’s voice was just barely audible above the sound of the wind and the twittering birds.

A strong breeze had blown through, chilling Casey to her core. She shook once, then again.

A short puff had escaped Kevin’s nose. Casey had looked over and had seen him chuckling softly to himself. In turn, Casey had also smiled. And it was then she realized she was still holding his hand.

Kevin had noticed to and had let go, draping his arm around her shoulders. Casey had huddled closer to him, balancing on the balls of her feet, trying to tip over and crush the delicate flowers below her. But Kevin had held her steady, using her own weight to anchor him into place. So they stayed, holding onto each other for support, acting as each other’s anchors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I am back! I return with a chapter and well wishes. I apologize for the late posting, I was doing some drafting on where to go from here. I promise: More Enid and Dennis, Joseph and the scream, the neighbor next door, and Staples. 
> 
> I hope everyone had an excellent week. And if not, next week will be Bill and Ted levels of excellent. Leave me a comment, a kudos, a smoke signal, whatever you'd like and I'll see you soon.


	8. 'Cause I Don't Think That I Can Take Anymore

Joseph followed the screams all the way downstairs.

His eyes looked back and forth, catching the gazes and glares of strangers on the street. Had no one else heard what Joseph had?

The screams had died out for a moment and Joseph had become paralyzed with fear.

Until…

“Give your goddamn purse, do you wanna die-,”

There it was; down the alley between Casey’s apartment building and the convenience store down the street. Joseph’s feet had begun moving before he had even thought about it. His feet carried him, swiftly, confidently. It was as if he wasn’t in control of them. His body somehow knew how to throw it’s self into action.

Had this been what his father had experienced this whole time? The need to help people, to defend people...it hadn’t just been a desire. It was a biological function. It had felt as natural to him as breathing and blinking had been.

Joseph had come upon the darkened alley, the screaming had turned to whimpers, but the terror he could plainly hear. A turn around a blind corner had revealed to him the sight of a woman held up by a younger man with a gun.

Joseph had met the woman’s eyes and instantly recognized her as Casey’s neighbor.

The younger man sneered and fired off a round that made Joseph flinch instinctively. Casey’s neighbor screamed. Her ears rung from the gunfire as the younger man took off running. Joseph’s hands shook once more, his blood feeling hot under his skin. Once again, his feet were moving before he had a chance to think about it.

Joseph had begun to pursue the younger man down the street.

The robber had had a thirty second head start, enough for anyone to make a clean get away had they known what they were doing. And yet Joseph felt himself close the large gap between him and the perpetrator. The younger man had glanced behind him, his eyes were widened in shock.

That was when Joseph lunged forward, tackling the younger man to the ground.

The young man fell to the ground with a solid thud, his gun had slid from his hand and skidded across the sidewalk pavement, out of his reach. Joseph wrestled the younger man onto his back with ease. Maybe it was his strength or the remnants of high school wrestling that had made it so easy for Joseph, but before he knew it, the younger man had begged for mercy.

“Get the fuck off me,” pleaded the younger man.

Joseph made a face and snatched the handbag from the young man’s arms. It was only then did Joseph realize just _how_ young the man had been.

Joseph got to his feet, dragging the younger kid with him. He gripped the kid by his shirt and pinned him against a wall, “You don’t steal from people kid-,”

“I’m sorry-,”

“And you definitely don’t shoot at strangers either-,”

“I-,”

“What if someone got hurt?”

The kid had begun to rattle off apologies and pleas for forgiveness. Joseph rolled his eyes and let go of the young man.

“If I were you, I’d put that thing-,” Joseph said, gesturing to the gun, “-back where you found it. And I’d stay away from that apartment building from now on. Because I’ll be around, and I remember your face-,”

The young man backed up, taking in Joseph’s presence, “Who are you? A cop?”

Joseph thought for a moment, then, answered. “I’m The Overseer,”

* * *

 

Casey and Kevin had returned upstairs.

There had been screams and what sounded like gunfire.

It was distant enough to not be an immediate threat, but still a little too close for Casey’s liking. She teased herself a little. As if she wasn’t used to crime in a big city, if it had even been.

Kevin had slipped into Jalin and had begun a story about a party he (posing as Ansel) had gone to in college. Casey half listened as she walked along side him, letting the tension ease off her shoulders. Absently, she stuck her hands in her pockets, that was when she realized that she had forgotten her keys.

“I gave them to Joseph,” She said aloud.

Jalin raised a brow, “What?”

“I gave my keys to Joseph,” Casey said shaking her head. Now she was missing her phone. If she had it with her could have called him, shot him a text, something…

Casey glanced down either ends of the hallway and sighed. “I guess we’ll have to wait for him,”

“You can’t find a spare?” asked Goddard.

Casey was taken aback then settled, “No, I was supposed to get the second set in the morning,”

Goddard pursed his lips, “I may be able to pick this lock, but I am out of practice and I don’t want to risk setting a fine upon your shoulders should I inflict damage on it,”

Casey shook her head, “Forget about it, I’m sure-,”

The thundering of feet had cut Casey off. Her ears perked up at the sound. Joseph had rounded the corner, holding Casey’s neighbor by the shoulders. Behind him a police officer and the landlord followed close.

Casey’s blood had ran as cold as the Neretva River. Goddard looked on worried and gripped Casey’s arm for support. Her hand flew to his on her arm, she squeezed hard in anticipation as the police officer approached.

Casey’s neighbor- Alyssa- was mumbling under her breath. Joseph had spared a glance in Casey and Kevin’s direction, a subtle thumbs-up, everything was okay.

Things would undoubtedly not be so if the police had noticed Kevin.

At that moment, Casey wanted nothing more than to tackle Joseph to the floor and rip her apartment keys from his pocket. But she knew better, and besides, with his new found super strength, who knew what he’d do.

“Let’s go downstairs,” Uttered Goddard in his perfect, posh, accent.

No other words had sounded so inviting before to Casey. She took him up on the offer and slipped her hand into his, dragging him away from the officer and Joseph. The walk down the short hallway had stretched on into an eternity. Every step was another moment Casey had agonized through, every minute was another for the police officer to stop her for questions.

Sure it’d be innocent enough.

“ _Did you hear anything?”_

“ _Have you seen anyone”_

“ _Where were you when the incident occurred-,”_

Of course, her neighbor would vouch for her- obviously. What would Alyssa gain by lying? The true anxiety lied in whether or not the officer would talk to Kevin.

“Hey you two-,” Casey’s stomach knotted. Her feet halted, her chest became tight. She had half turned her head and looked over her shoulder.

The officer and the landlord had looked at them both.

“Lobby’s closed for the night,” said the landlord. Casey breathed a minuscule sigh of relief. The voice had been his, not the officer’s.

“Oh, well would you know any places to grab a late night cappuccino, perhaps?” Goddard asked in a voice as sweet and as smooth as the world’s best honey-wine.

The landlord shrugged, then said, “Yeah, a joint down the street, Mezca’s. It’s twenty-four hours,”

“Thank you,” Casey mumbled.

“You two be careful, ya hear?” The officer chimed in.

Casey nodded quickly, pulling Goddard along.

When they had safely made it into the elevator, Casey had let loose a breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding in.

“What was Joseph doing with an officer,”Asked Goddard.

Casey shrugged, “I don’t know, but I got a feeling it’s got something to do with that screaming we heard,”

The elevator reached the lobby. Casey and Goddard filed out.

“Do you think Joseph’s hurt,” Casey asked when they had exited her apartment.

Goddard was quiet. When Casey hadn’t received a response, she had turned to look at him. When she did, she realized Goddard had disappeared and in his place was Dennis.

He looked at her then looked away. He had mumbled something. Casey made a face and then looked down, realizing they’d still been holding hands.

She huffed, annoyed at Dennis’ way of always halting things. But she wrangled the emotion and tried to remember the important things. Casey let go of Dennis’s hand and gestured with her head down the street. “We’re going to a cafe, I can see the sign from here,” she said.

Dennis nodded and stuck his hands into his pockets. “Let’s-uh-go then,”

She and Dennis walked in silence as they made their way down the block.

Mezca’s was no bigger than a little house. It’s exterior was covered in purple neon lights and the patio area was littered with dangling plants and older couples. Dennis opened the door for Casey and the two walked into the cafe. The first smell that had hit her was the scent of burning wood, the second had been the unmistakable smell of tobacco. It hadn’t been cigarettes though. Casey had known exactly how those had smelled, there was no additives in this aroma. There was only the strong, clean perfume of pure tobacco.

The interior was decorated like an old hunting lodge, complete with a fire place and hunting paraphernalia. There was something oddly rustic yet _new_ about the place. Casey liked how cozy the inside had been, a welcomed change to the biting winter outside.

Casey glanced over at Dennis who had looked nearly green in the cafe’s low lighting. Perhaps he was. It was then Casey realized how asymmetrical everything had been. The floors, despite being clean, were scuffed from boots and chairs. And the tables that hadn’t yet been bussed remained covered in empty cups and used napkins. She would have laughed if she had been in the mood to do so. But she settled for am amused grin and sought out a table in the corner.

“Sit down,” Casey said to Dennis.

He did so, without question and crossed his arms over his chest as he always had.

“I’m getting a coffee, do you want one?”

Dennis shook his head, “I’m alright, thank you,”

Casey had started off towards the counter. At this time of the night, the place was surprisingly full. Casey had looked around at the patrons.

Near the fire place were a few older men playing chess. Near the entrance were younger people. Once or twice she’d seen people who seemed to be her age on their laptops, sitting alone. She was so engulfed at people watching she hadn’t realized that she’d been standing at the counter for nearly a minute as the barista had asked her if she was ready to order.

Casey’s face burned as she forced an uneasy smile onto her face, “Can I get a cafe latte please...” she squeaked.

The barista returned a small smile and ran up her total. Casey paid and the barista passed her a number. “Hang that off the edge of your table, we’ll come find you,” they said.

Casey took the number and returned back to Dennis who’d been in the same, unflinching position as he’d been when she left.

“So,” Casey said.

“So?"

“So what are you doing here,”

Dennis swallowed, “Do you want me to go?”

Casey shook her head, “No. I just thought you weren’t supposed to be out if you weren’t useful,”

Dennis rubbed the back of his head, a movement that was restricted by his long hair, “I’m keeping an eye on you,”

“Oh?” Casey asked, slightly amused.

Dennis nodded.

“Who decided I need to be looked after?”

“It’s what we do, we look for each other,” said Dennis, “You look out for Hedwig and the others all the time. We just want to do the same for you,”

Casey felt just slightly irked. While flattered that The Group thought as much, she didn’t understand why they needed to look after her. Casey wasn’t in any danger, they were.

“Yeah but Hedwig is a kid-,”. Casey had stopped herself then. She had remembered Joseph’s words earlier that night and kicked herself.

_He’s a grown man too, Casey._

Maybe Joey was right about a few things. Downplaying Kevin’s ability to take care of himself was one of those things.

Casey huffed and restarted, “Hedwig needs some extra attention sometimes, but everyone else can look after themselves,” she said.

Dennis opened his mouth to speak, but just as he had his face had scrunched up. His eyes closed tightly and a quizzical look had grown over his face. His mouth twisted to the side, his body relaxed and leaned to the right. A hand was propped up daintily under his chin.

“You sure ‘bout that Case-Face?”

Jade had raised her brow for good measure.

It felt as if the air in the room had shifted, suddenly things felt warmer, lighter. Casey’s awkward feelings had melted as she had found herself in the presence of a friend.

“I haven’t seen you in forever,”

Jade rolled her eyes and played with the tips of Kevin’s hair, “It’s been a day,” she said casually.

“Did I scare Dennis off,”

Jade shook her head, “He actually had some real insightful shit to say, but fuck ‘em. I missed my Case-Face, also I saw the barista when we came in and ‘oh-mah-lord’ that man is a _snack_ ,”

Casey couldn’t help but grin as Jade had spoke. There was something so easy about her, even if it felt put-on sometimes. But she enjoyed the company and the sheer overwhelmingly positive attitude Jade had. It was enough to make her forget about her problems for even a little bit.

“So like, I heard what you asked Dennis at the gas station,” Jade started, “Girl that is super generous of you, and like you bet your ass if it was just me I’d totally move in. But-,” Jade made some ambiguous gesture, “Why do you really want us there?”

Casey’s stomach clenched, her fists balled in her lap as Jade looked at her. She felt her mouth dry the longer she sat. Casey licked her lips, trying to form words, any words, but for some reason they didn’t come.

A server had stopped by the table and dropped off Casey’s coffee, allowing her to reset her thoughts and take a minute to think.

Jade meanwhile had looked as if she was catching onto whatever Casey was up to, but if she had, she didn’t say. She merely waited for Casey to taste her coffee and made empty comments on the décor and the insides of the cafe.

When Casey had choked down enough of the piping hot coffee she cleared her throat and looked at Jade.

“I’m-I want you to live with me because we’re friends,” Casey said, “And you somewhere to stay because the cops are looking for you in Philly,”

Jade nodded her head, “I mean, like, _yeah,_ duh...But that’s nothing really _new_ or _dangerous,_ you know?”

Casey made a face, “Jade if they catch you they’ll-,”

“Throw us in prison, the nut-house, something right?” the younger girl proposed.

“Are you kidding me? They might kill you,”

“What about you? If they find you, you’ll be locked up too for-what is it- is it housing a criminal-,”

“-Jade you’re not taking this seriously,”

Jade’s voice became shrill, “And you’re not thinking either. What are you gonna do, take care of us forever? Casey that’s impossible,”

“What’s impossible is your-,”

“Casey just tell us what’s up, why do you want us to move in with you so bad-,”

“-I just told-,”

“I don’t believe you-,”

“-Tell me-,”

“Jade I did-,”

“Casey. Tell me,”

The argument had stopped as had the confusing cocktail of emotions.

Jade had left, in her place had been someone else. Someone new.

A stranger.

And yet…

“You remember me?” asked someone with Ansel’s face and Barry’s voice.

“I-,”

“You went to the police, you got your uncle thrown in jail,” said the stranger. He tried on a smile, “I remember. We’re the same,”

“Kevin?”

Kevin smiled, but gingerly, as if his presence had been their little secret. Most likely, it was.

“Hey Casey. Been a long time,”

She nodded, bewildered.

“I want to tell you everything. But there’s not time now,” Kevin started, “I need your help but we have to be on the same page first. Casey, why do I need to move in with you?”

“It’s-we’re-,”

“Tell me the truth. I know you’re hiding something, I’m hiding something too. We can help each other,”

Casey swallowed the lump in her throat. The words still wouldn’t come, but she forced them out, “Staple is looking for you. She found me at the cabin...I’m afraid what’ll happen to you if I leave you alone. And she knows about Joseph, and me, and-,”

Her voice had begun to shake, but Kevin’s hand had closed the distance across the table and gripped her hand so tightly the shaking had stopped.

“It’s okay, we’re going to get through this,”

Casey’s mind had dragged her back to the under belly of the Philadelphia Zoo. Barry’s smiling face had assured her and his kind eyes had pleaded for her to stay calm.

Kevin’s face different in that aspect. His smile hadn’t feigned confidence, it didn’t look or feel forced. To her, it was the face of someone who believed. Casey knew that much to be true, she could feel it coming off in waves from Kevin. It both assured her and made her question where he had found such confidence.

“I need to go now, don’t tell the others I was here. Don’t tell them I’m awake at all. I’ll be watching okay,”.

His eyes closed and when they opened Jade had taken his place, talking right from where she left off.

“Look, I’m almost eighteen, that’s like legal age to live on your own. You don’t think I wouldn’t want-. Casey? You good?”

Casey blinked rapidly, her brows knitted together, “Huh?”

“You looked like your nudes leaked or somethin’,”

Casey shook her head, “I’m-I just hate when we argue,”

Jade’s expression melted into a look of empathy. “Hey. I do too. We fight in the morning, plus it’s late as hell. Why don’t we all just go crash at your new place and fight tomorrow morning,”

Casey smirked and nodded in agreement.

* * *

 

The girls had left the cafe soon after their conversation.

When they arrived at the apartments, Joseph was waiting for them outside Casey’s apartment.

He looked relieved to see them and closed them both in tight hugs.

Jade had smiled salaciously, “I could get used to that,”

Joseph guffawed at Jade and enclosed her in a tighter, rougher hug. Jade poked him in the side and pulled away, her features twisted up in annoyance, “Ugh, ew I take it back,” she said. Her hands began to rearrange her hair as Joseph turned to Casey.

“Happy to see me?” Casey asked, softly.

“Are you still mad at me,” He asked.

“Haven’t decided yet,” she said, deadpan. But her tiny grin had given it away and Joseph nudged her arm affectionately.

He handed her the keys and Casey unlocked the apartment door. The trio entered the apartment. Casey had noticed a box or two had been opened.

Her pullout futon had been prepared. Pillows and a heavy comforter had been lied out. Her mattress had been laid close beside it, prepared in the same fashion.

Casey looked at Joseph who’s face looked sheepish, “Yeah sorry, I figured you’d be tired. Made up the bed and stuff while you two were gone,”

Casey patted him on the shoulder, “I appreciate it, Joey,”

“I appreciate it too, Joey,” Jade said, “I appreciate it so much I’m gonna pass out right now,”

Jade plopped onto the futon, making the furniture creak. Joseph fell butt-first onto the mattress on the floor and began to undo his shoes. Casey looked at the two of them and crossed her arms.

“So where am I gonna sleep?” She asked expectantly.

Jade and Joseph looked at each other then at her, “Well-,” Joseph started.

“Who do you want to sleep with?” Jade finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so DISCLAIMERS:
> 
> I originally wrote this chapter and next chapter as one big chapter but didn't post it all together because I think it would make for a choppy read and I needed to tweak some stuff. So this chapter ends on a "cliff hanger" but it's weak one. I mean c'mon. We all know Casey's gonna pick [REDACTED] to sleep with. Duh. (jk or is it).
> 
> Anyways, we finally make a lil' progression with our trio. Things discussed in the cabin, Joseph's being a vigilante, Casey and Kevin's scheme, Patricia's scheme, the 6th Super, it's all coming back baby. IT'S ALL COMING FULL CIRCLE. Fingers don't fail me now. 
> 
> Thank you all for reading. Leave me a comment, I love hearing your feedback. See you soon. :)


	9. Well You Started Out With Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I'm back. I'm sorry for this late entry, hopefully the steam hasn't run out for this fic yet. I was busy planning this chapter and next and finishing up some personal projects. I hope everyone had a great week. Leave me a comment as always! I love you all! Today we get a little darker as we visit Kevin's head, once again.

The statement had come out weirder than Jade had intended.

She backtracked and grinned, amused by how mortified Casey had looked at what she had said.

Post-College girls _really_ reacted like that? Jade snickered in her chair as Goddard groaned, Jalin laughed along, and Hedwig sat by, clueless as always.

“What’s so funny,” asked the young boy.

“Nothin’ Heggie,” Jade said, waving him off.

She turned her attention back to Casey who had wiped the shock from her face.

Jade sucked her teeth, “You know what I mean, Case-Face,”

Casey made a little motion with her shoulders. Jade knew that was Casey-Code for “I-Know-What-I-Want-But-I’m-Shy”. Even though Casey had grown leaps and bounds since her captivity, she was still a little reluctant to tell people what she wanted. 

“I’m not gonna be offended if you say, Joseph,” Jade said, shrugging the large hunting coat from her shoulders and neatly folding it (out of respect for Casey’s dad, of course. She hated laundry). “Although I’m sure Dennis will be,” she teased.

Casey scoffed and rolled her eyes. For a minute she remained standing and then finally she took her place at Joseph’s side on the mattress.

“Good call,” Jade commended, “I think Heggie still wets the bed,”

“Do not-,” Hedwig said, popping in.

“Whatever,” Jade shot back. “Casey I’m gonna use your bathroom,”

“Toilet paper, towels, all that’s in the box in there,”

“Gotcha. Fair warning if Norma comes out and see you two cuddling, she might lecture you on what _proper_ young men and women should be doing,”

Casey waited for the sound of the bathroom door clicking before she spoke. “So you’re definitely going on the floor-,”

“But-,”

Casey grinned and tossed the spare pillow at Joseph. She took an old blanket from the mattress and tossed that at him too. “I recommend sleeping on top of the sleeping bags,” Casey said, gesturing to the bags they’d brought from the cabin.

“Is this pay-back for pissing you off?”

“No, but yes,”

“Petty,”

“I can’t hear you from the floor, Joseph,”

The older man rolled his eyes, but he grinned none the less, knowing that things had more or less returned to normal. For that, he’d sleep on the floor for a whole week.

“Why were you with the cop,” Casey asked, trying hard to sound casual.

Joseph’s lips rolled inwards, “Ah, well your neighbor, she almost got shot,”

Casey’s brows shot up in surprise, “What? Why are people always trying to shoot you when I’m not around,”

“Yeah, there was an alley a few blocks down from your building. It was some kid and I stopped him-,” Joseph began to explain.

“Did you hurt him?”

“No, of course not. I just scared him a little. I mean, he looked like fifteen. I’m sure he wasn’t gonna do anything serious,”

Casey thought back to the gunshots she had heard earlier that evening, “Wait, were those gunshots him?”

Joseph nodded, “Yeah probably-,”

“My _God_ , Joseph. Are you okay?”

Joseph nodded, again. “I’m perfectly fine. So is Alyssa, the bullets hit the wall,”

Casey gave a huge sigh, “That could’ve been dangerous,”

At this Joseph snorted, “For him maybe,”

Casey socked Joseph lightly on the shoulder, “For _you too,”_ she said. “What if a bullet actually hit you?”

“To tell you the truth, Case, I could probably walk it off. I mean back at that general store I blocked a point blank range shot with my hand. It didn’t even scuff my skin,”

The younger woman rolled her eyes, “You don’t know if that was because you blocked the bullet or if you crushed the gun. And you don’t want to try it either. Getting shot hurts,” she said lowly. A scar near her hip burned and Casey pressed her hand over it.

Joseph’s easy demeanor had switched instantly. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “I’m sorry,” he said easily, “It’s not anything honestly. All I did was tackle the kid,”

“ _Joseph,”_

“ _What?_ He was getting away,”

“You have super strength-,”

“-and maybe speed,”

Case paused and looked at him wearily.

“You shoulda seen it Case-,” Joseph said, getting animated, “I was booking down the street-,”

“You could have seriously hurt someone,” Casey said.

Joseph thought back to when he had accosted the teenager. He had said the same thing about the kid and the gun. Had that been what Casey saw _him_ as; an underdeveloped boy with a weapon he didn’t know the consequences of? Joseph wasn’t going to fight her about it, but it had rubbed him the wrong way to think of it like that.

Joseph waved her off, “Look, I know what I’m doing,”

“You’ve been like this for three days,”

“You make it sound like this whole thing is a totally alien concept to me, like I wasn’t helping my dad for twenty years with this. Can you stop doubting everything for five seconds and just see where things go,”

No, she couldn’t. That was her whole foundation for thinking. Where could one choice lead her, what was the best choice? Joseph’s preferred method to life was admittedly too hazardous and out of control for her. She didn’t want to be totally out of control like that, not yet. Not when she’d gained so little of her own control back into her life.

Casey flopped backwards onto the mattress.

Joseph had mimicked Casey’s actions. She rolled over on her side to look at Joseph, “So, the cop was for what?”

“The landlord called them when I brought her back. She was filing out a report, asked me to come along because she felt safer,” Joseph said.

Casey half smiled, “Playing hero already? You got a name picked out?”

“Yeah. The Overseer,”

Casey smiled wholly, now _._ “It sounds so stuffy and just...Bad,”

“Like evil bad, or like poorly written bad?”

“Um, both?”

Casey and Joseph had trailed off into another conversation and by the time Jade had emerged, they were fast asleep, Casey body was pointed towards Joseph’s on the floor.

Jade smiled sweetly at them as she threw the blanket over each of them and climbed as quietly into the futon as she could. She closed her eyes, letting her body fall into a deep sleep.

In Kevin’s mind, Jade stood from The Light’s chair and took back her own seat.

“I think they make a cute couple,” said Kat, flipping her long, blonde hair over her shoulder.

Jade scratched at her messy bun and smiled back at her friend, her sister, herself. “Yeah, I definitely think so, and if it doesn’t work out I call dibs on Joey,”

Kat laughed and turned around in her chair, “Hey Egg-Head you hear that? Jade’s gonna wife-up Joseph if Casey doesn’t,”

Dennis had glared at Jade from his chair all the way in the back of the “room”.

He looked down at his feet, trying to ignore Kat’s taunts. Kat could particularly vile when she wanted to be and he knew she was just getting started.

“She’s spiteful,” Patricia reminded Dennis, “Remember, that’s the only reason she exists. She’s an outlet for Kevin’s aggression. She’s nothing more,” Patricia had said that loud enough for Kat and Jade to hear. Odd, how Patricia had come to Dennis’s aid. They had almost hated each other, and yet here they were, working together once again.

Arguably the worst of Kevin’s alters had been his only defender. Dennis didn’t know whether to laugh or to sit in defeated silence. Was this what he deserved?

“Does it matter,” asked a growling, low voice from behind Dennis’s chair. The hairs at the base of his neck stood up. Dennis cringed as he felt The Beast’s breath on his neck. “What you deserve has no meaning, it is what _they_ deserve; the unbroken, the unsullied. What they deserve outweighs our own desires,”

Dennis swallowed, squeezing his eyes shut as he felt The Beast slink back into the darkness.

Patricia sat beside Dennis, smiling grimly. “In due time the others will see how much we need him, they’ll realize how important he is,”

“You’re a fucking nut-case,” Said Barry.

Dennis had looked over at him.

Since Barry had been banned, he’d sat down in his chair in the back of the room. His gaze was far away, empty. They were devoid of the life he once possessed. His eyes reminded Dennis of put-out fire places and the smoke that had rose from the smothered embers were Barry’s long dried tears. It almost broke Dennis to see him that way. Barry-while not physically- had been one of the stronger personalities. Barry had seen his equal share of good and bad in Kevin’s life. Barry was the closest to being whole. Seeing him now was like watching Kevin being torn apart all over. Except this time Dennis couldn’t do anything about it.

Barry’s demeanor was empty, bereft. But his voice still carried what little resistance he had left. The essence of Barry lived on within his voice, and it made sure that Patricia knew.

“You’re one crazy, goddamn bitch, Patricia,” Barry added, his voice so low, only Dennis and Patricia could hear.

This seemed to only entertain Patricia and she smiled at Barry, applauding him. “My sweet boy, you don’t see the bigger picture. There is only one way to survive in this world and it is to remake it in the image of The Beast,”

“Joseph can stop you,” Barry answered back, looking directly at Patricia. “He’s strong enough to beat you and him,”. For a moment, Dennis saw a flicker in Barry’s eyes. It was as if old Barry was peaking through, breaking away at the walls of sadness and restriction Patricia had built up around him.

Patricia smiled even wider, “What do you think we’re saving the world from, boy?”

Dennis and Barry looked at her for explanation.

“Do you want to know what hell is? It’s just beyond the confines of Kevin’s mind. It looks us in the eyes and smiles fondly at us. It tells us we are good and just, it tells itself it is good and just, it tells us lies. You think _Joseph_ is good? He’s as wicked as the rest, he’s just so naive he can’t even see it in himself. He was powerless before, so he had no means to spread his filth. But now he has the ability to carry out his evil,” Patricia stated, “You know what they say, absolute power corrupts absolutely. One way or another, Little Joey will show his true nature and when he does The Beast will be there to prove to the world he is the greater good. And when he does, the world will be safe for Kevin at last,”

Barry settled back into his chair, his face was pale, blank.

Dennis crossed his arms over his chest, unnerved by Patricia’s conviction to The Beast. Just how devoted she was hadn’t occurred to him this until this very moment.

Barry was right. She was fucking nut-case.

Patricia grinned and leaned close to Dennis’s ear, “Who knows, maybe the world will even be safe enough for Kevin and Casey to live together in peace,”

Dennis crossed his arms tighter across his chest.

* * *

 

“Joseph it’s alright, I won’t let you fall,”

“No dad, I can’t!”

David’s warm, throaty laugh filled the air, “Joseph you’re not even peddling, c’mon. Push,”

Joseph’s thin, shaky legs pressed down on the peddles. The bike lurched forward.

“You got it, Kiddo!” David said, cheering his son on.

“I-I’m doing it, Dad!”

Joseph had felt his heart beat so fast and hard in his chest, he thought it would explode. He was terrified and thrilled all at once. His mind had wanted to stop, to pull back, but his soul had wanted more, had wanted to continue. And with his dad- strong, dependable, brave- the soul had a pretty convincing argument.

Joseph had woken up from the dream, as he always had. He wiped the tears from his face and spent a minute looking up at the bare ceiling of Casey’s apartment. Even though David had died four years ago, Joseph woke every morning feeling as if it had just been yesterday. He didn’t often dream of his dad, but on rare occasions, Joseph was so blessed to fall asleep and see him.

Tonight had been one of those nights, and Joseph as always woke up with an empty feeling in his chest.

It was still late, the sun had not yet risen. He’d decided to call it an early morning, knowing he didn’t want to go back to sleep, anyhow.

He sat up quietly as to not disturb Casey who was still fast asleep.

He looked around the apartment silently.

He noticed-after glancing at the futon-that Kevin wasn’t in it.

Another glance showed Joseph that Kevin had been sitting out on Casey’s balcony. It had begun to snow outside. Joseph decided to give Kevin company and slowly, shrugged on his jacket and socks and headed out into the night air.

“Knock, knock,” Joseph said, stepping out onto the balcony.

Kevin’s eyes lit up with recognition. Joseph wished he could have said the same. He wasn’t as adept at telling apart the alters without them speaking to him. That was something he’d hope he’d get soon. But there was something in Kevin's eyes that were foreign, different.

Joseph sat down by Kevin and looked out at the city. The snow fell in a graceful flurry and coated Pittsburgh in a thin blanket of snow. By morning the place would be caked. Joseph inhaled a big breath of air, letting the chilled air freeze his lungs. This kind of cold always reminded him of sucking on a menthol cough drop. He shivered as the cold reached his core.

Besides him, Kevin let out gentle laugh.

Joseph turned to his side and smiled, “S’cold,” Joseph said.

“I see that,” Kevin said, nodding. His posture shifted, he sat up a little straighter.

“So you like coming out here,” Joseph asked.

Kevin shook his head, “No, Dennis brought me out here. I don’t know what he wanted me to see, he kinda just dipped on me,”

Joseph raised an eyebrow, “Have we met?” he questioned. He thought about how weird that had sounded for a minute, but realized that nothing about the situation as a whole was exactly “normal”.

Kevin shook his head and extended his hand. “I’m Samuel,”

Joseph shook his hand. Kevin’s grip was firm, maybe a little too firm. “Joseph Dunn. You can just call me Joe,”

Samuel nodded, “Hey friend, odd question but what year is it?”

“Ah, December 2018,” Joseph answered.

Samuel’s eyes widened in surprise. He recovered from the shock and fidgeted for a second, “Time flies, huh,” he mumbled.

Joseph didn’t ask, not because he wasn’t curious, but because he was too curious. There wasn’t much he knew about Samuel. Was he violent, did he have triggers? He didn’t want to ask questions and lead Kevin down any road that would make him unleash The Beast.

Samuel had turned to Joseph then, “Is she still alive?”

“Who?”

“Kevin’s mom, is she still alive?”

Joseph became silent. He tensed, trying to decide what was the best response. He decided to be honest and shrugged, “I’m not sure,”

Samuel frowned. “I hope that kid’s okay,” Samuel shook his head. “You know, in school he was a smart kid. He always helped me out with my homework. And on the playground we used to play tether-ball and stuff. Kev was great at it. I was bummed as hell when he stopped coming to school like he always did. And then you know word got out what his mom was doing to him,” Samuel sighed and rested his head against the rough wall behind him. “Some people are sick in the head...”

Joseph swallowed, thinking of how to word his next question, “So you and Kevin were like, friends?”

Samuel smiled fondly, “Yeah, something like that. I mean I knew Kev, he was a good guy. Sorry I dunno why I keep talking about him like he’s dead or something. It’s just-I dunno,”

“What?”

“I just feel like he’s gone,”

Samuel’s face fell, little by little. His eyes glazed over as he looked over the city’s skyline. Joseph watched as Kevin blinked slow. When his eyes opened, a sleepy Hedwig had emerged. He wiped his eyes and yawned loudly.

“Hey Joey,”

“Hey bud,”

“It’s cold out here, what are we doing?”

Joseph rose and helped Hedwig to his feet. “I was taking you back inside,”

“Oh, thanks,”

Joseph helped the groggy Hedwig into bed and spread the blanket over him. When Kevin’s body had falled back into a deep sleep, Joseph had returned to his spot on the floor and closed his eyes.

They had woke late the next morning.

Casey had been without her phone and any clocks but she could hear a radio just through her walls. The voice on the radio had said something similar to eleven o’clock.

Casey stretched and looked over at her sleeping companions.

Joseph was out cold, as he’d always been. He snored loudly and comfortably in the sleeping bag.

Kevin on the other hand had been quiet. Casey hadn’t seen his chest rise or fall or even heard any kind of breathing. She crept over to the futon to check on Kevin and in the process had tangled her legs in the bed sheets and fell with a soft thud, right next to Kevin’s bed side.

Kevin woke with a small start and after taking a look around the apartment, seemed to remember where he was. He looked down curiously at Casey on the floor then grinned.

“Hey,” He said with a smile.

“Hey yourself,” Casey said, sitting up and untangling her feet.

“Were you gonna wake me with a kiss or something,”

“I was actually making sure you were still alive. You’re a very quiet sleeper,”

Kevin nodded, “Yeah Jade tells me that all the time. Better than the rest of The Group though, some of them can be loud as shit,” Casey had perched herself at the edge of the futon’s foam mattress and rested her hand on Kevin’s arm.

“I’m Kat, by the way,” she said, “Meow” she added with a wink.

Casey grinned, amused by the new, relaxed alter that had appeared before her.

“Do you know if you’re going to be staying long?” she asked.

“I might. We’re taking shifts, so today’s my day. But I’m sure Heggie’s gonna pop in and say ‘Hi’. Kid can’t seem to stay away from you,” Kat said and then yawned again, “God, I am still so tired. What’s the time?”

“Eleven-ish?” Casey said, though it sounded more like a question.

“E-gads, I’m up before noon,” Kat said deadpan, “Dennis’s anal punctuality is starting to rub off on me,”

Casey snorted and rose, “I’m gonna take a shower,”

“Take me with you,” Kat joked as Casey rolled her eyes.

By the time everyone had washed up , it was near two in the afternoon. The trio spent the day unpacking and before they knew it, were done with most of the apartment. There were still small knick’knacks to be put away such as the cleaning supplies and the few decorations Casey brought over from her old apartment from Philly. Besides that, there was nothing else to do.

“I’m starving,” Kat said, “Let’s eat,”

“What do you feel like?” asked Joseph.

“Anything but peanuts and peanut related products,” Kat answered. “I got a peanut allergy like no one’s business,”

Casey laughed. Hedwig had simply adored peanut butter.

“Pizza?” Joseph offered, “I think I saw a place coming in,”

“Sounds good,”

“I’ll buy,” Casey said, “-let me get my wallet. I’ll meet you two downstairs,”

Joseph and Kat nodded, following each other out of the apartment.

Casey meanwhile scoured her new bedroom for her wallet. She had vaguely remembered placing it somewhere on a shelf in the closet, so she looked there first. But as she rummaged through her belongings, a familiar looking card had fell from her jacket pocket.

She knelt to the floor to inspect the card.

The handwriting on the back of the card already reminded her what it was. But she was drawn to it, she couldn’t fight the urge to pick up the piece of paper, to hold it.

Casey reached out, feeling a vibration in her fingertips as sh gripped the card’s smooth surface. Nothing about it had changed. It was still the same ordinary card she had seen when Staple had handed it to her.

And yet…

Casey turned it over in her hand, once, twice.

Her bedroom had blinked out of existence. She was standing in an office, the AC had piped in frigid air.

Staple was at her desk, scribbling her information on the back of the card.

As quickly as it had come it had disappeared. Casey froze up in shock. Her hands dropped the card.

She looked around in pure bewilderment. She was back again in her apartment, nothing had changed. Casey was unmoved.

She looked down at the card that had floated gently to the floor. Taking a deep breath, Casey dared to reach for the paper again.

She braced herself for the shock of the cold air this time. Casey closed her eyes and when she opened them again, she was back in Staple’s office, watching her write on the back of the business card. The older woman stood and pulled her purse from underneath her desk. She placed the card in her pocket and slung the purse over her shoulder.

Staple paused as her phone rang. She answered it with poised professionalism.

“Marcus, you found them?” asked Staple. The older woman smiled. “Well that’s not far from here. I’ll be in the garage in a minute,”

The image-the _vision-_ of the office had faded back into Casey’s room.

She stood, puzzled.

_Get control Casey, don’t freeze up like-_

_-A deer in the headlights, Casey-Bear._

That was enough to snap Casey from her stupor, and make her skin crawl. She gave the card one last look before tucking it away in the confines of her desk drawer. Amusingly enough, that was where she had hidden her wallet. Casey grinned wryly and stuffed her wallet into her pocket.

When she arrived downstairs, Kat and Joseph were talking to each other. Kat was animated, using her hands to make wild expressions. Casey could hear her voice across the apartment’s lobby. In that respect, Kat was a lot like Jade. But her speech was slower, more directed. She spoke with emphasis and purpose.

“Hey there she is,” Kat said with a grin.

“Hi, sorry, I couldn’t find my purse,” Casey replied.

“We ready to go?” Joseph asked.

Casey and Kat nodded. Joseph led them back into the garage, back to where he’d parked.

As Casey climbed into the car, a glint of pale pink and white had caught her eye. She felt her throat tighten, her stomach twisted with a terrible sense of dread. The vision in her head from earlier had crept it’s way back into her brain.

_Staple was here?_

“Casey? You good?”

Joseph and Kat had looked at her expectantly, she quickly realized that she was still standing outside the truck. Everyone else had gotten in.

Case swallowed thickly and forced herself to look in the direction of the pale pink streak of color.

But she looked, all she saw was an older woman and her son, getting into an SUV.

Casey felt her face heat up, she tried to keep a straight face as she climbed into the truck and fought down the embarrassment building up in her chest.

“Are you alright? "

“I think I just saw something weird,”

Kat snorted loudly from the back seat, “My god, Casey. It’s always something with you,”

Casey put on a smile and shook her head, “Must the hunger. I’m starving,”

“I second that, Captain,” Kat agreed.

“Well, let’s get going,”


	10. And You're Proud That You're a Self-Made Man

The pizza place had been good. The joint was full, servers were moving across the restaurant like busy bees. Casey marveled at the spectacular display of noise and atmosphere of the place. She had remembered some place similar to it. When she was still small, her father had been fond of going out to eat. Pizza had been his absolute favorite. Casey had not grown to love it as much as her father had. As a little girl, she never quite understood his love for the food. But as she grew, pizza became a symbol of something greater. Pizza was warmth, it was her dad. As corny as it was, pizza had a soft spot in her heart. Whenever she could find a place that was able to replicate the taste of the pizza she had all those years ago, she’d take a minute to imagine her dad was there with her.

 _This one’s for you, Daddy_ , she thought as she bit into a slice. _I miss you._

Joseph had ordered a half meat-lovers, half supreme pizza.

Kat and Joseph happily ate from both sides, meanwhile, Casey was busy working on just one at a time. She watched in equal measures of awe and horror as Kat and Joseph ate side by side on the opposite end of the booth.

“My god, Joseph,” Casey laughed as he ate two slices at once.

“-is gud,” He said, mouth full.

“Lordly, Joe, cool it,” Kat said as she took a bite from one pizza and then switched over to her second.

Casey looked fondly at her other companion and shook her head. “At least I know you two enjoy it,”

Casey reached for her cup of water, realizing it was empty. “Shoot, hey can one of you wave that server over. I’m out of water,”

“Sure thing, excuse me-,” Joseph said to a passing server. “When you get the chance, could I get some water for the table?”

“Of course, sir,”

“Thank you, what was your name again?”

“Enid-,”

Joseph smiled at her, waiting for her to walk off.

Slowly, he looked at Casey who looked back at him with the same cautious expression. They looked at Kat who was in mid bite. Her mouth hung open and she looked at Joseph and Casey, confused.

Kat lowered the pizza crust from her mouth and cleared her throat, “So uh-,”

Casey’s mouth pulled into the corner, “Um, sorry we just thought-,”

“The waitress-,” Joseph added in.

Kat shrugged, “What? I mean, she’s cute…like-,”

“Her name is Enid,” Joseph said.

As if a light had turned on in Kat’s head, Kat had smiled and started to chuckle softly, “Oh, did you guys think I was gonna, like, turn?”

Joseph followed Kat’s chuckle, first softly, then firmer, more assured.

“Yeah, no. The only one who can force us off is Heggie. But kid’s busy right now. Anyways, Enid? Is that like someone’s trigger word or something?”

“It was this old lady Dennis used to live with,” Casey said.

“ _Live_? I don’t believe it, Dennis can’t _live_ with people. He’s a neurotic mess _and_ he’s a bit of an A-hole if you ask me,”

Joseph snickered, earning a glare from Casey.

Casey wasn’t sure why, but she felt surprisingly irked by what Kat had said. And over Dennis of all people.

“What? I’m sorry, she just said that really funny,”

“Casey it’s cool,”

“I just don’t like it when you talk about him that way. It’s not his fault, he can’t help it-,”

Kat scoffed, “Casey, it’s a joke. Let it go, you don’t have to coddle him just because he’s ‘sick’, or whatever. He’s a person too. Sometimes, a bit of an A-hole kind of person,"

Casey sighed softly and took another bite out of her pizza, “Yeah,” she agreed, flatly.

Kat however had not let the topic drop. Casey could feel the tension wafting off Kat. She could practically taste the derision; tangy and acidic on her palate. Kat turned her body to Casey now, her chest ever so slightly puffed.

“No, you got something say and it’s not just, ‘yeah’. So what is it?” Kat asked, loudly.

Casey’s brow furrowed, “It’s nothing-,”

“It’s not nothing. If you got something to tell me, tell me, Case,”

“Kat, let it go. I’m done talking about it,”

“I’m not,” Kat pressed.

“I think we’re getting a little heated here, let’s just-,” Joseph said, butting in.

“No, I want to hear what Casey has to say,” Kat continued, “Cause apparently she can mumble under breath like a little kid but she can’t talk to me like a grown woman,”

Casey felt the first prickles of anger spike up her back. Her fist clenched under the table and her face darkened. “Lay off, Kat. I don’t wanna talk about this-,”

“Surprise, you never wanna talk,” Kat sneered, “That’s Casey for you, always shutting people out. What, are we not privy to your thoughts, _Your Highness?_ ”

“I don’t need to listen to this,” Casey mumbled. She rolled her eyes and got up from the booth.

“Oh hey, look, she’s running now,” Kat admonished.

Casey had disappeared around a corner, ignoring whatever insults Kat was hurling at her.

Joseph had turned to Kat, “Kat, what the fuck?”

“Oh please, not you too,” Kat seethed, flipping over her uneaten pizza crust.

“You didn’t have to do that,”

“And? She needs it. She’s a grown ass woman. Knock-knock but people are gonna say a lot worse than what I said. It’s not like it was some out of the blue shit either, Joe. She acts like a kid, pitching fits and temper tantrums because someone tells her what to do. You should know that-,”

“Casey’s different, sometimes you just gotta go easy on her,”

Kat rolled her eyes, “Why? What makes her any different-,”

“She’s-,” Joseph fell silent.

“If we’re not different, Joey, neither is she,” Kat affirmed.

* * *

 

Casey had gone to the front of the restaurant. She payed for the meal, knowing the boys were probably still finishing up. She figured she’d take a short walk to just get her away from the table and return when she had a clear head.

She reminded herself she was still more or less “in-hiding” from Staple. So she made sure not to wander off and instead just stood outside the building to calm down.

Casey let the sounds of the city distract her as she stared aimlessly across the street.

Beside her, patrons of the restaurant had exited the building. She was only partially aware of that as someone had stood a few feet away from her and lit a cigarette. The smell of burning tobacco and paper had hit her almost immediately. At first her face turned away, repulsed by the carcinogenic smell. But then her fingers began to twitch.

Casey turned to look at the man next to her and spied a pack of cigarettes poking out from a jacket pocket.

“Excuse me, could I bum one of those off you?”

The man turned to her and nodded. He shook a cigarette out of the pack and handed it to her. Casey reached out and held the tip of the cigarette.

A bright flash went off around her and suddenly she saw herself in a gas station at night. She saw the man who was offering her a cigarette and a bored looking cashier. The man paid the cashier for the cigarettes and made a small comment that visibly darkened the cashier’s face. The man smiled awkwardly and left, mumbling under his breath.

As quickly as the scene had come, it had gone.

Casey stood blinking, holding the tip of the cigarette.

The man looked at her expectantly and she blushed as she pulled the cigarette away making a small apology. The man smiled it off and lit her cigarette, quickly leaving.

Casey pondered what she had just seen as she took the first drag of her cigarette.

The smoky, tar-like taste had filled her mouth and was too warm, too harsh to suck down into her lungs. She sputtered the smoke, her head felt dizzy in the process. The feeling was similar to how she felt after a vision. It was as if there was a cloud of smoke enveloping her, encasing her in some other place, some other time.

Time.

That’s what she had needed to find out, what time were those visions showing? Were they glimpses of the past? Or more chillingly, were they snapshots of the future?

Casey didn’t want to even fathom that.

_Those kinds of things can’t happen Casey. That’s the stuff you read about in comics._

_But then again…_

Casey tried for another drag of the cigarette and instantly felt nauseated. But her nausea was enough to distract her other senses from the smoke. In a long, stable breath she inhaled the smoke, letting it coat her lungs.

She exhaled smoothly, watching with satisfaction as a cloud of smoke exited her body.

Time.

She needed to figure out what the context of the visions were. She needed to test it, just like Joseph had tested his powers. She needed to find out the basis for them.

But with what?

* * *

 

Ansel had been talking to Jalin about _The Lord of the Rings_ when Kat had stomped over to his seat, yanked him by his shoulder and threw him into The Light.

“Deal with them before I beat someone’s ass,” Kat mumbled, slinking back to her side of the room.

Ansel had blinked, blinded by The Light.

When his vision had cleared, Joseph was sitting in front of him with a less than pleased expression.

Ansel made an apologetic face, “I’m sorry, what did we do?”

Almost instantly, Joseph’s face softened and he half shrugged. “Casey and Kat kinda got into it,”

Ansel mouthed “oh”, and scratched the back of his hand. “I can go talk to her. I know Kat can be a little much sometimes,”

“I’m sure it’s nothing. Casey’s just been a little cagey lately and-,”

“Joseph you don’t have to do that. It’s okay for us to be wrong,”

Joseph had stopped talking and smiled wryly, “I feel like I’m always playing peace-maker,”

“Admittedly you do,” Ansel agreed.

“I’m not sure if that’s going to get me in trouble one day,”

Ansel grinned back, “We’ll see ,right?”

Joseph rolled his shoulders, “I’m gonna use the bathroom-,”

Enid, the server, had dropped by the table and informed the pair that their tab was already paid. Joseph thanked her.

Ansel and Joseph had parted, agreeing to meet in front of the restaurant.

Ansel’s eyes scanned the front of the building for Casey and felt a little relief when he saw her standing out in front. He also felt partial curiosity when he noticed the cigarette in her hand.

He approached her with the most genial smile he could muster.

“Hey,”

“What?”

“Kat’s gone,”

Casey’s eyes widened with recognition, “Oh. I-,”

“You don’t have to explain yourself, I know what happened. And I hope you never feel like you have to justify anything when you’re with me,” Ansel added.

“ _Yo that’s some slick shit Anny,” Jalin said, fist bumping his friend just out of view of The Light._

Casey smiled in return as Ansel leaned on the wall next to her.

“Where did you get that?” Ansel asked, pointing to the cigarette.

“Someone was kind enough to give me one,” Casey said, taking a drag. “I don’t usually smoke, but I figured I needed something to do with my hands while I waited out here,"

Ansel had held out his hand for the cigarette.

Amused, Casey gave him the cigarette and watched him inhale. Ansel smiled wide as the smoke escaped through his nostrils, “It’s been a while since I’ve had one of these,”

“I never knew Kevin was a smoker,”

“He’s not, but I am,” Ansel said, “Of course when Barry was in charge he said we-I-had to stop,”

“Where is Barry anyways?”

Ansel paused. “He’s just, you know ah- chillin,”

Casey raised a brow.

“You know, B needs his beauty rest. An’ like he wanna be well rested’n’shit you know,”

“Jalin-,”

Jalin smiled nervously as Ansel glared at him from behind.

“ _You said you had this Jalin,” Ansel hissed_

“ _Chill dawg, I got this shit,” Jalin assured._

“Yo, so like, you and Joey wanna head back to the crib? Put on Netflix or sumn’, because-like-Heggie and I are-like-mad into Stranger Things right now and-,”

“Jalin, where’s Barry,”

“Sleeping sis, he’s tired as fuck, but he’ll be back later,”

“Okay,” Casey said, but didn’t feel convinced.

Joseph had joined them a moment later, breaking Casey’s focus on Jalin.

The trio had piled back into Joseph’s truck and headed back to Casey’s apartment.

Jalin and Joseph were talking as they entered the lobby with Casey close behind. Near the elevators, Casey could see a small crowd forming. Silently, she lamented, anticipating a long wait for the elevator.

But then off tot he side she spotted a man with a professional camera. Her brow furrowed in confusion and then a woman stepped into view with a microphone and things were starting to fall into place. The presence of Alyssa, her neighbor, had only confirmed what she was thinking.

“-And then he just grabbed me, told me I was gonna die if I didn’t give him my purse-,” Alyssa’s voice carried through the lobby and caught the attention of passer-byes.

“Shit, who the fuck called the Pittsburgh News?” Jalin asked.

Casey saw the t-shirt on one of the crew and grimaced. “Worse they’re not even the news. They’re-,”

“-Laurie Carrington and the Pittsburgh Piping Hot Parables,” The anchor-woman said, talking to the camera.

“What are they?” Joseph asked, watching the crew reset for what seemed like more shots.

“Imagine TMZ but it’s one lady and she’s awful,” Casey mumbled, looking for the best path to the elevators. “I think they’re here to cover the shooting last night. It’s best if we’re not seen,”. Casey saw an opening between two men near the elevators. She gestured between them and started moving.

Jalin followed close behind, Joseph trailed right behind them.

Casey felt a little relief when she made it past the two men, but her heart dropped when she heard Alyssa.

“Joseph!”

Casey whipped around to see Alyssa push through the crowd and greet them.

The camera followed Alyssa as she looked at Joseph. The bright light from the camera crew had caught Joseph in a spot light, freezing him into place. Casey had just barely dragged Jalin away from the view of the camera as Laurie Carrington, Alyssa, and the camera crew descended upon him.

“Let’s go,” Casey whispered as she dragged Jalin into the elevator, away from the lobby.

They were alone when the elevator had arrived and pulled them up to Casey’s floor.

“Sorry Joseph,” Casey joked and turned to Jalin.

She hadn’t noticed until she looked that Jalin had covered his eyes, wincing.

When he uncovered them, he blinked rapidly and looked around confused.

Casey took a half step back, worried who had taken his place. She remembered his room at Ravenhill Memorial and thought about the light coming off the camera crew.

“What in the almighty fuck was _that_ , then?” Kevin had shouted. His accent was distinctly Irish. Who the alter was had not been as distinct.

“-Camera lights, yeh Gobshite,”

“Shut it, Mary, you know what I’m talking about,”

Casey quickly realized he was talking to himself. He and whoever Mary was to him.

He-they- both turned to look at Casey.

“You ain’t seen twins before, lass?” He- or maybe Mary- had questioned.

The elevator dinged, opening up to Casey’s floor.

She stepped out, not sure whether or not to invite the twins out with her.

The twins exited the elevator and crossed their arms. “Well, where you leading us to?”

“My apartment,”

“Sounds like a grand plan,” said the higher pitch twin, presumably Mary.

“Don’t go touching everything now, Mary,” the other twin had advised, following Casey down the hall way.

Mary scoffed at her twin, “Ian, you’re the one with sticky fingers,”

Ian had rolled his eyes at Mary as Casey unlocked her front door and allowed them inside.

Mary and Ian.

Mary and Ian.

Casey racked her brain trying to remember anything from what she remembered. She was sure she hadn’t ever heard to met them before. She wasn’t sure if they were dangerous or not, she hoped they weren’t.

“So Joey-Boy’s a celebrity, is he now?” asked Ian, Casey assumed.

“I guess so,” she replied as she searched for the remote for her TV.

Casey looked up at Ian who stood like a tall, bored pillar in her living room.

“Hey Ian-,”

“Mary,”

“Mary-sorry- can I have the remote, it’s next to you on the couch,”

Mary glanced over and plucked the remote from the couch. She shook it a little, making sure Casey had seen her and then gently tossed it in the air. Casey caught it flipped on the TV that Joseph had helped her set up earlier in the day.

Casey flipped quickly through the channels, looking for the one that played Laurie’s show. She knew that they always went live so she was sure she’d see them on TV.

A flash of a familiar face and Alyssa’s smile had made Casey stop.

“Yeesh, HD Joseph is gonna give me nightmares,” Ian or Mary mumbled beside Casey.

Joseph was smiling at the camera, stiff and awkward. Beside him, Alyssa was happily holding him by the shoulder with one hand and holding Laurie’s microphone with the other.

“And then Joseph just ran after him-right?” Alyssa asked, turning to Joseph for confirmation.

“-Uh, yeah?”

“Is it true you have super speed, super strength-,”

“Yeah-,”

“-We have a report from a convenience store, they said you also faced down an armed robber _and_ crushed their gun with your bare hands. Is that true, too?”

“Yes,”

Ian-or Mary- snorted. “Is he always this articulate,”

Casey shushed them as she watched.

“Mr. Dunn, we’ve seen videos of supposed ‘supers’ before on the internet. Nowadays, anything can be edited. Can you show us a little something to prove you’re the genuine article,” prompted Laurie.

_Please don’t be stupid, Joseph._

Casey watched with wide eyes as Joseph mumbled something, made a gesture with his hands, then finally said, “I can’t do it on command. Someone actually has to be in trouble,”

“C’mon, not even a little somethin’?” Laurie asked, “Maybe you can bend a bar or lift someone’s car over your head,”

Joseph shook his head. Laurie and Alyssa’s face fell, as did the atmosphere of the crowd around them.

“How about you tell the good people of Pittsburgh where to follow you, you know, should we need the assistance of a super-,” Laurie prompted.

Joseph shook his head with the same dopey smile plastered on his face, “I’m actually from Philly-,”

Laurie turned her attention back to the camera, “Well you saw it here criminals, a new sheriff is in town and he’s on the hunt for you. This is Laurie and The Piping Hot Pittsburgh Parables saying, ‘Watch your backs evil doers’,”

The live feed cut and turned back to the regular programming on the channel.

Casey felt mortified- for Joseph mostly- and sat down on her couch.

“I need to see when she uploads the interview, I don’t think you were in it-,”

“Why is that a problem?” asked the Twins.

“You guys are still wanted in Philadelphia, it’s not exactly good news if we’re caught broadcasting your face all over TV,”

The Twins laughed, “Oh right, I forgot,”

Casey’s face twisted up in a look of annoyance and anger, “You just ‘forgot’ you’re a fugitive?”

“Hey, The Beast-that gobshite- is the wanted criminal, not us,” said the lower toned twin, presumably Ian.

“Not our monkey, not our circus,” added the higher pitched twin, presumably Mary.

Casey rolled her eyes, “Yes it’s your monkey, your circus! You’re all in the same body,”

“Is that what you think?” Mary asked, crossing her arms defensively across her chest, “So you’re supposing I’m as ugly as he is-,”

“-Or I’m a nagging bore like she is-,” Ian said, pointing to himself.

“We’re twins, not clones,” Mary asserted. “I’m offended you even proposed that,”

With this she turned her nose up at Casey and walked off to a different part of the apartment. Casey didn’t bother to see where she went. All she knew was that they didn’t walk out the front door. Casey decided not to bother with them, having had her fill of Kevin for the day.

The afternoon had been a brutal reminder that even if she did like Kevin, he wasn’t at all sunshine and roses. There were parts of him that were absolutely not as pleasant as some of him had been. There had also been parts of him that were just hard to deal with.

Part of her knew that if she wanted Kevin to stay with her she’d need to learn to live with them all.

Lord help her.

* * *

 

“You did great, kid,” Laurie said, turning to Joseph.

“Um, thank you?” Joseph replied as the crowd was broken down by the manager of the apartment building.

“We might wanna do a follow up interview in a few days if that’s alright. I can have my people e-mail you about the payment-,”

“Payment-?”

“Yeah, we’ll compensate you for doing a formal interview for us. Short, maybe an hour at most. Come on, answer some questions, maybe show off a little, I dunno-,”

“-I’m not sure I want to do that-,”

Laurie raised an eyebrow, “Why not? It’s great exposure,”

“Exposure? I’m not doing this ‘super’ stuff for exposure or anything,”

Laurie snorted, “Why’d you do it then?”

“It was the right thing to do, someone needed my help,” Joseph said.

Laurie scoffed at him and shook her head, “You got a lot of ego thinking someone needed _your_ help,”

Joseph’s brow furrowed, “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means everyone’s got an angle,” Laurie said, “Look kid, take if from me. Never just _offer_ your help _._ Because people like this will absolutely see it as a right not a privilege,"

The woman had then turned to one of the crew and handed off her microphone before un-clipping the body mic, “I’ll have my people call your people,” she said as she walked away.

“I don’t have ‘people’-,” Joseph called after her.

“Get yourself some, then,”

Joseph rolled his eyes and looked around for Casey and Joseph. He’d hoped they’d gone upstairs back to Casey’s apartment. He was about to find out when Alyssa had suddenly appeared before him, making Joseph jump.

“Oh, hey-,”

“That’d make for a headline, local girl gets the drop on a super?” Alyssa punctuated her sentence with a grin.

Joseph half returned her enthusiasm with an easy smile, “I gotta go find my friends-,”

“I never thanked you for saving my life,” said Alyssa, following Joseph to the elevators.

“You don’t have to, it was just the right thing to do,”

“I wish there were more guys like you out there,”

Joseph had a feeling where the conversation was headed and tried to change it, “And girls too, right-,”

“What?” Alyssa asked, confused.

“Girls can be superheros too. That’s what you mean?” Joseph asked. _Please say yes._

“Oh yeah, totally-,”

An awkward silence had fallen over them as Joseph had called the elevator. Joseph tapped his foot, feeling anxious as he waited.

“So that girl-um, Casey- the one who moved in down the hall from me… Is she your-,”

“-Girlfriend?” Joseph asked, smirking.

“Oh...I was gonna say sister,”

“What?” He asked, caught off guard by Alyssa’s response.

“I mean… you’re just so old,”

“Hey, I am not that old-,”

“Older than her,” Alyssa said with a playful tone, “She’s like what twenty-five, max? You look like, thirty-five, thirty-six?”

“I’m thrity-four,” Joseph said indignantly.

“That’s a hard thrity-four buddy,”

Joseph chuckled a little, “Okay okay, yeah-,”. He had found her directness funny, charming even.

Alyssa smiled, “If it makes you feel any better, I just turned thirty-two and my god it hit me like a bus,”

Joseph turned to look at Alyssa and noticed for the time that she had a sort of a nice smile. It was different from Casey’s. There was something natural yet refined about it. In a word, it was grown up.

Joseph felt himself smiling back at her now, genuinely.

_Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no-._

* * *

 

“Mary what are you doing?” Ian asked, watching his sister’s hands touch all of Casey’s clothes. Her nimble, little hands searched pockets and purses.

“Having a look around,” Mary said moving from the closet to the desk.

Her fingers traced the top of a lamp and ran themselves over pens and pencils and highlighters. There was a feeling of glee Mary felt as she saw a glint and looked inside a pen-holder. A single penny smiled back at her and she happily plucked it from it’s position.

“You couldn’t even be a kleptomaniac who stole valuable things?”

“This is currency, innit?”

Ian rolled his eyes and sat down on Casey’s bed.

“Too bad Dennis the Menace isn’t out right now. He’d be going mad over being in her room-,”

“-Touching her things,”

“Sitting on her bed-,”

“-Let’s slip a pair of her panties into his pocket-,” Mary said impishly.

Ian began to snicker but paused and shook his head, “Wouldn’t wanna be strangled by the Super-Freak down there,”

“I know a guy who can take him,”

Ian waved his sister off, “Please. That’s just more mess for us,”

May shrugged, “You know I don’t think Patricia was all that wrong, we were strong. We could’ve taken on anyone,”

“Yeah a nine-round in the gut disagreed,”

“That’s only because that wet-blanket in the next room brought Kevin back,”

“Yeah well that and you made a decision without me,”

Mary rose from the bed and began to play with her hair in front of Casey’s mirror. She separated the semi-long hair into sections and glanced over at the hair ties that hung from a thumbtack on a wall. Mary began to braid her hair as she spoke.

“I joined Patricia for a better life for us, one where we didn’t have to hide in the shadows. I’m sorry you didn’t think the same,”

“Yeh’ pretentious bird. Listen to yourself. Get out of here with your ‘hide in shadows’ nonsense. There are better ways to get what you want. Besides, murder isn’t my forte,”

Mary finished a braid and tied the end of her hair off then started the other side.

“It isn’t mine either, it’s The Beast’s,”

“Finish your hair and go back outside, you prat.”

“The girl is only standing in the way of our life,”

“How do you figure,”

“She’s always telling us no, like she’s our mommy. Lass got it in her head we’re something animal that needs to be on a leash,”

Ian was quiet for a minute, then mumbled, “We’re not an animal,”

_Kevin Wendell Crumb if you want to act like an animal, you can eat like one-_

“Exactly Ian. But Casey doesn’t see that, no matter how much she tries to tell us otherwise. She just wants control,”

“She’s just trying to help out a friend,”

“Oh yeah? Guess what I found in her desk drawer,”

Mary had pulled Staple’s card out from her pocket and let Ian read it.

“Could be old-,” Ian argued.

“You think she’d hold onto this for five years?”

Ian was silent again as he flipped the card over and noticed the hand written contact info in the back. He had felt defeated by Mary, once again.

“What’s all this for?”

Mary tied off the end of her hair, “Wouldn’t you like to find out?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again everyone. I hope you guys are doing well. 
> 
> I'm on vacation! Which means next chapter will be a little late. Looks like there's some push back between Kevin's mind and Casey's this chapter. Plus, Joseph's rise to stardom is coming with some interesting perks isn't it? Next chapter we're gonna look into some of Kevin's past and more! I love the comments, keep them coming. Love you all, see you guys next time. I'll be answering questions in the comments as always.


	11. Clowns to the Left of Me...

 

“Enid, baby how are you?”

“Lindy, it’s always good to hear from you,”

Enid Watts placed her tea back on her coffee table and held her phone closer to her ear.

She made a face as she tried to fiddle with the volume controls on her smart-phone. Technology was supposed to make things easier, but if you asked Enid, things were just as difficult as they had always been.

“Hold on, Lindy-Baby. You’re breaking up,”

On the other end, Lindy laughed.  
“Girl are you having trouble with that phone again,”

Enid chuckled, “Yeah you know it. Can’t get the damn thing to get louder...”

“Have that boy fix it for you? What’s his name, David?”

“Dennis,” Enid frowned just a little and then sighed, “He don’t live here no more, girl. I dun-told you this already,”

“I’m old, baby,”

Enid chuckled again and shook her head. “Ain’t we both,” she said, giving up on trying to fix the volume. “How’d your doctor’s appointment go?”

“ ‘Bout as helpful as a hole in my head, girl. Dr. Amira can’t find nothing wrong with me,”

Enid rolled her eyes, “Besides the normal stuff?”

“ _Besides_ the normal stuff-,”

Enid grinned, knowing that Lindy was probably glaring her down on the other end of the phone.

“The headaches get bad at night. Like a buzzing. It get especially bad when it’s loud or around lots of people. Yesterday I was with the others eating lunch and Debbie-you know her- she was talking so damn loud at the table next to me. My Lord, I was hoping and _praying_ that woman would shut up. She kept running her mouth and my head was throbbing,” Lindy explained. There was a moment of silence as Enid waited for her friend to continue, “You know, but then the headache just went away-,”

“-So whatchu’ complainin’ ‘bout?”

“-I ain’t complaining you old bat...But it was the strangest thing. Debbie all-a-sudden just shut up. Mid-sentence and that woman just stop talking. She ain’t never done that before,”

Cackling, Enid replied, “Who said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,”

Lindy on the other side made an unsure sound. “Ion’ know what’s going on. I’mma just keep taking my medication for the headaches,”

Enid hummed, “Well you let me know how you feel okay? It don’t matter what time, you call me,”

“Thanks baby,”

“Of course Lindy,”

“Hey girl I gotta go, the nurse just told me I got a visitor,”

“Who?”

“Probably another person from the news. Want an _ex-clu-sive_ interview from me. Again,”

Enid made a disgusted sound, “You tell ‘em off, girl,”

“Oh you damn right,”

The old women laughed. They exchanged goodbyes one last time. Enid hung up first, going back to whatever program she had on the TV.

* * *

 

On the other end, from the retirement home she now lived, Lindy hung up the public phone. She rose from her seat and followed the nurse to a private visiting area.

“If it’s that lady from that trash network again-,” Lindy started.

The nurse snorted, cutting her off, “Don’t worry, this one’s legit. She’s from some hospital from the north side,”

Lindy rose an eyebrow, “Oh really?”

“Yeah. She said she actually evaluated your son,”

Lindy stopped dead in her tracks. “My-my son?”

The nurse gestured to the private room then opened the door. They pointed inside, “Have a seat, Lind,”

Lindy took a deep breath and slowly walked into the room.

On a small, leather arm chair, a younger woman with auburn hair and a casual and conservative ensemble sat. She smiled tightly at Lindy.

“Dr. Staple...so nice to see you again,” Lindy mumbled.

“Ms. Price, likewise,"

* * *

 

Casey had heard Joseph’s voice just outside her door.

She glanced over at her room and heard Ian and Mary still in there. For a second, she had thought about going in, but she had wanted to talk to Joseph first. She peered through the peep hole of her door before she went out and saw Joseph smiling at Alyssa. The two had talked a little longer than Casey was expecting.

She decided to cut the fun short and opened the door, interrupting Joseph and Alyssa.

“-So I’ll see you- oh. Hey Casey,”

Casey smiled and waved back at her neighbor, “Sorry, I need to borrow him,”

Joseph nodded, “I’ll see you later,”

Alyssa smiled back and waved.

Alyssa was in her apartment before Joseph looked over at Casey who looked smug.

“Oh, what?”

Casey said nothing and still smirked.  
“Case, stop being weird,”

She pursed her lips, barely able to contain herself and let Joseph into the apartment.

“I won’t talk about it if you won’t,” Casey said as Joseph sat down on her couch.

“Good, ‘cause I won’t,”

Getting serious, Casey looked at Joseph and tilted her head to the side, “So what’s up?”

“That Laura- Whatever, wants to do another interview,”

“And you told her it’s not gonna happen?”

“Of course. That’d be insane,” Joseph said, “We’re already at risk with Staple finding us now that I’ve been on TV,”

Casey nodded.

“I guess it’s better that I leave soon, then,” Joseph said.

Casey felt herself stiffen. She bit her lip, trying to find something insightful to say. When she couldn’t, she shrugged and ran a hand over her hair. “Okay. If you’re ready to go, tell me what you want to do and we can-,”

“Casey-,” Hedwig whined.

She raised her eyebrow as Hedwig stumbled out of her bedroom. Casey made a face and put her hands on her hips.

“What’s up, Bud?” asked Joseph.

“I’m bored,”

Casey tossed Hedwig the remote, which he failed to catch and tried to play it off. “Watch some TV,” Casey said.

Hedwig surfed mindlessly through the channels as Casey and Joseph spoke.

“-leave tonight-,”

“-what if someone’s at the shop-,”

“-I’ll mail you your phone-,”

“-When can I come back to see you?-,”

Bits and pieces of the conversation reached Hedwig’s ears. He had only half processed the conversation, he’d only half comprehended what was going on.

All he knew was that the adults were speaking. So he stayed out of it. That’s what he was taught. And Patricia always said he was a smart boy, so of course he’d use the things people taught him.

“Heggie,”

“Yeah Kevin?”

Hedwig’s eyes grew wide.

“Kevin?”, the young boy gasped. Hedwig turned in his chair in the direction of Kevin’s voice. The young boy’s eyes grew wide with equal amounts of fear and awe.

He hadn’t seen Kevin since Kevin himself was young. Back then the boys had been inseparable, that was until Dennis decided that Kevin was getting too old to play games and sequestered Hedwig into his chair.

“I thought you were asleep,”

“I was. But I’m awake now...part of me is anyways. I’ve been listening to you for a long time, Hedwig,”

Hedwig shrunk back into his seat. His grip on the light waived. “How long?”

“Long enough to know you were doing some bad stuff with Patricia,”

“I’m sorr-,”

“It’s okay, Heggie. I know why you did it,”

“The others-,”

Kevin pressed his finger to his lips. “They can’t hear me or see me right now, I’m hiding from them,”

Hedwig made a face. “Why Kevin,”

“It’s a secret. Right now though, only you can see and hear me,”

Hedwig’s face brightened, “So like, you’re kinda like _my_ imaginary friend now,” Hedwig asked, referencing the game he and Kevin used to play before either of them knew what they were.

Kevin allowed himself a small smile and nodded, “Yeah that’s right, Hedwig,”

“Oh cool-,”

“-Totally, but look, if you want me to stick around, I need you to help me,”

The young boy shrugged, “Okay? What is it?”

“Casey and Joseph are splitting up-,”

“What?” Hedwig squealed.

“Not too loud,” Kevin warned, trying to quiet the boy.

“Sorry. What?” Hedwig tried, lowering his voice.

“Joseph’s gonna go back home for who knows how long,” Kevin explained, “And that’s really bad, who’s gonna show you how to play Fortnite or call you ‘Bud’?”

Hedwig shrunk back in his chair.

“And Casey-,” Kevin continued, “She’s gonna be so sad that he’s gone,”

“Casey’s gonna be sad?”

“Super sad,” Kevin confirmed, “That’s why you gotta get him to stay,”

“Why can’t Casey do it,”

Kevin sighed, “Adults are mega-weird, Heggie. They never just tell you what they want, but you’re not weird right?”

“Nah, I’m frickin’ c-cool,” Hedwig squeaked.

At that, Kevin wholeheartedly smiled. Here he was, his whole childhood, his innocence, his naivety, his joy, his love. Kevin knelt beside Hedwig and took a good look at the boy. Hedwig was not Kevin at nine years old, rather, Hedwig was a boy with a too-big forehead and big brown eyes like the cutest dog that ever lived. He was everything Kevin had wished to be at that age.

“You need to keep Joseph and Casey together, because we’re all friends,” Kevin said, “We need each other,”

Invigored by the responsibility bestowed upon him, Hedwig nodded. Kevin knew then that the boy would try everything and anything to keep Joseph in town for just a little longer, even it meant he’d have to cause some trouble.

Kevin’s face fell just a little as he remembered what kind of trouble Hedwig used to be...

* * *

 

“What do you want Dr. Staple,”

“I wanted to see how you were doing in light of the events of of Ravenhill,”

Lindy fixed Dr. Staple a haughty glare, “About five years late on that,”

Staple smiled tightly once more, “Well, better late than never,”

“No, I don’t think so,”

Staple crossed her legs, smoothing down her skirt as she did so, “Elijah was an extraordinary man-,”

“-If you wouldn’t mind, I’d very much like to keep my boy’s name out of your mouth,”

Ellie Staple pursed her lips, “I understand you’re still very sore-,”

“My son is dead...because of you-,”

“-Your son is dead because of his own actions,” Staple corrected, “I was trying to put a stop to his endeavors. But because you, that girl, and David Dunn’s son had to meddle in my work, your son was able to unleash them all on the world,”

Lindy’s lips rolled into a thin, hard line.

Staple cleared her throat, “I wanted to help them. All of them. I had almost succeeded too. If I had been able to just convince them that they were mentally ill, none of that would have transpired. Your son would still be here today,” Staple asserted.

“So then why are you here, it’s not just to gloat, is it?” Asked Lindy.

Staple shook her head, “My job is to help gifted individuals. I believe you can help me find them,”

“What makes you think I’m gonna do that?”

“I think you’ll see I can be quite convincing,”

* * *

 

“Jesus Christ! Hedwig-!,” Casey shouted as walked into the bathroom.

“M’sorry, Casey-,”

Joseph had run up behind Casey, “What’s- oh, _dude,”_

Dennis would surely give Hedwig a good scolding if he had seen what Hedwig had done to the floor and sink of Casey’s bathroom...and to himself.

Casey inhaled a deep breath, “Hedwig, are you okay?”

Hedwig nodded feebily, “I’m sorry I threw up all over your bathroom, Casey,”

Casey shook her head, “Don’t apologize, it’s okay Hedwig,”

“I think all that pizza made him sick,” Joseph said, walking away.

“Hey, Joey can you get me the-,”

“-Mop? Yeah I was about to-,” Joseph said.

Casey tip-toed around the vomit, “C’mon, Heggie, let’s go sit down...after you clean your face,”

Hedwig cleaned the vomit from his face as Casey tip-toed back outside. He half smiled at what he had thought to be a clever trick.

_Hedwig, making yourself throw up isn’t really that clever_

Hedwig shrugged Kevin off. He’d accomplished his goal, Joseph would have to stay now. His best-friend was sick. How could he leave? Hedwig finished cleaning himself up and walked out side.

In the kitchen area he could hear Joseph and Casey whispering to one another.

“-Let me take him in-,”

“-You’re gonna be alone with him?”

“Better we’re split up, so Staple-,”

Hedwig’s arms prickled with goosebumps. Staple.

Yeah, he remembered that lady. She was nice enough, but still really creepy. He didn’t like being around her too long. The way she acted in front of other people reminded him a lot of Kevin’s mom.

Hedwig’s stomach dropped.

_Heggie, don’t she’s dead-._

_-Kevin Wendell Crumb_

_-Heggie...stop, stop. Penelope can’t hurt-_

Hedwig tried to inhale a deep breath. He thought about something else, anything else. He thought about The Beast then. The powerful Beast inside him, the one who lied waiting. His protector…

“Hedwig?” Casey asked, walking up to him.

“Bud, you don’t look so good. Go sit down,” Joseph said, leading Hedwig to the couch.

Hedwig once again, feigned sickness and sat on the couch with Joseph.

The older man made a face as he looked his younger friend in the eyes.

_Do they know?_

_No, you’re just looking at Joseph. Stop it-,_

Hedwig’s eyes dropped to the floor.

Joseph placed his hand on his friend’s head and then neck. “Kid, you’re burning up,”

“You have a headache?” Asked Casey.

Hedwig shook his head, “No, my stomach just hurts...Really bad,”

Joseph made a face at Casey, “Sounds like it could be food poisoning or a stomach bug,”

Sympathetically, Casey placed a hand on Hedwig’s back and rubbed soothingly. “Well, no more pizza for you buddy,” Casey joked.

Weakly, Hedwig smiled back at Casey. Sighing, he flopped down on the couch. “I think I need to lay down,”

“I’ll get you a bucket,” Joseph said, “Don’t wanna be scraping vomit off the floor,”

Casey snorted in response as she headed to clean the mess in the bathroom.

“Well, what are we gonna do now?” asked Joseph.

“What do you mean,” Casey asked.

“C’mon, Case, I can’t leave you alone with Kevin now,”

Casey shrugged, “Why not? He’s got food poisoning...or the stomach flu. Not cancer or something,”

Joseph sighed, “I’m being dumb, aren’t I?”

Casey smirked, “Yeah, a little,”

Joseph chuffed and handed her the mopping bucket, “Okay, so you’re totally cool with him staying with you and being sick and stuff?”

Casey nodded as she drew the mop through the mess on the floor. “It’s fine. Go home, Joseph. Check on the store and stuff. Plus I’m gonna need my electronics. You know my phone, my laptop…,”

Joseph nodded, “Right, right...long drive,” He mumbled, “I should probably leave tonight,”

Casey smirked again, “Hey don’t be too sad, I’ll keep your girlfriend company while you’re away,”

Joseph scoffed loudly as he tripped over his words, “I’m not- she’s not- dude- what...Ha- I mean, like, _what?_ ”

Casey rolled her eyes and rinsed her mop in the bucket, “Joey-,”

“-She’s like, I dunno I just met her. I mean she’s pretty but-,”

Casey smiled wide, “Oh she’s pretty, huh? I thought I was pretty?”

“You are. You’re like one of the prettiest girls I know,” Joseph said.

“I’m one of the _only_ girls you know,” Casey corrected.

“Okay, yeah, that’s right,”

Casey rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “You should ask her out now that you’re a super hero,”

“She could be my Lois Lane,”

Casey raised an eyebrow, “If you got a new Damsel in Distress, what does that make me?”

“I always saw you more as a Wonder Woman,”

“Charmed, Joseph,”

“I’m sure-,”

Casey rinsed her mop one more time and gave the floor a final pass. When she deemed the vomit to be mostly absorbed, she disposed of the dirty water, rinsed out the mop, and prepared a solution for disinfecting the floor.

“Hey so, you think I should ask her out?” Joseph asked after some thought.

Casey shrugged, “You like her?”

“I mean, yeah, as much as someone who just met another someone a day ago could,”

“Then ask her out,” Casey said.

“I was just...I wanted to be sure,”

Casey looked her friend squarely in the face, “Joey...are you _asking_ my permission?”

“Like...yes. Okay. You’re my friend, I value your opinion...I want to know if you’d be okay if-,”

“-If you started going out with my neighbor,” Casey shot him a half grin, “It shouldn’t matter what I think,”

“It does though, you’re my friend. I want you to feel comfortable around me, you know?”

“No I don’t ‘know’. Look, it’s your life, you date who you want. You do what you want. As long as you’re not hurting people I don’t care-,”

Joseph made a face, the easy-going energy he emitted slowly dissipated and Casey felt the energy of the room shift. “What do you mean you don’t care?” Joseph asked, pointedly. Casey felt the muscles in her stomach and back tighten at his tone.

“Joseph, not like that-,” Casey back-tracked, knowing where the conversation was heading.

“-No, no, I know how you meant it. What I’m asking is what do you mean you don’t care about choices I make?” Joseph questioned.

Casey slapped the mop down on the floor and began to swab at her bathroom tile, “I’m just saying that I’m not you. So even if the choice doesn’t make sense to me, I’m going to let you make it because you want it,”

“What even if it’s a bad one?”

“Well...no I’d say something, but it’s got to be obviously bad-,”

“What’s your definition of bad?”

“God, Joseph why are we arguing about stupid stuff. Again?” Casey huffed.

“Because you just said you didn’t care what I do, that’s basically saying you don’t care about me-,”

“-I said I don’t care about the choices you make, not that I don’t care about you,”

“How is that not the same? If I start to shoot up heroin tomorrow you’re just say ‘Cool Joey, you do what makes you happy’?”

“Well maybe I don’t feel the need to put my two cents into everything you do, Joseph,” Casey stated, “Some things are out of my control and I accept that-,”

“Really? Okay, then let Kevin out on his own,”

“Here we go again,” Casey mumbled under her breath.

“Yeah here we go, _again._ Do you realize how little sense you make? ‘Kevin’s his own person, Joey. Kevin can’t be on his own, but he should also be independent. I can’t handle him on my own, but I don’t want your help’,” Joseph mocked in a shrill falsetto voice.

It was Casey’s turn to scoff at Joseph and she did so the most disgusting way she knew. “Yeah you _are_ a fucking superhero, Joey,” she said, coldly. “Suits you. You know better than the rest of us, as always,”

“I don’t know better, Case-,”

“-Then why are you acting like the weight of the world needs to rest on your shoulders? Who cares what I do with my life-?”

“-Why do you act like the weight _doesn’t_ need to rest on yours? You can’t just ‘play’ hero. It’s a full-time gig-,”

“When I have ever done that?”

“Uh, hello, you got a fugitive sleeping on your couch,” Joseph said, jerking his thumb in the direction of Kevin. “And yet you’re giving me shit constantly for helping people out-,”

“-So it’s my fault _I_ wanted to help out someone,”

“No. It’s your fault you _only_ wanted to help him,”  
“What are you talking about?”

“This, all this! You never did that for me. Not in the whole five years we’ve known each other have you ever done anything like this for me,”

Casey’s brow scrunched up, “Joseph, what are you-,”

“When my dad died I had nobody. I had my dad’s shop and an empty house. My dad was murdered, right in front of me and I couldn’t do anything about it. But the whole time, everyone told me to be thankful because at least I wasn’t you. At least I wasn’t abused all my life and put through what you had been. And you know what? I listened to them and I still do. So I tried to be positive, Casey. I tried to remind myself that there were way worse things out there-,” Joseph said.

Casey had stopped mopping entirely, she crossed her arms as she waited for Joseph to continue. “I saw you at the support group and I knew I needed to reach out to you, because-,” Joseph continued.

“-Because what? You pitied me?” Casey asked, “You saw some abused girl and thought, ‘hey my life sucks but at least I’m not her’?”

Joseph’s mouth set in a hard line, “I reached out to you because I knew you were hurting just as much as I was. And I thought that if I couldn’t make myself feel better, maybe I could make someone else feel better. Maybe if I couldn’t be a superhero like my dad, I could help people another way. And now here we are five years later and I feel like I’ve given so much to this friendship and I’ve gotten nothing back,”

“So you feel like I owe you?” Casey queried. “Is that is?”

Joseph shook his head, “You did all this for him. You’re risking your life and future for him. Why? What about this guy who you’ve known for less than a few weeks total makes you want to stick your neck out for him? Why wouldn’t you do the same thing for me?”

Casey’s face twisted into something that nestled in the middle of disgust and awe, “Are you for real right now?”

“Yes. Casey if it came down to it and you needed to save one of us, who would you pick? We both know the answer, but I want you to say it,”

Casey shook her head, “I’m done talking about this. Come back when you don’t have stupid stuff to say, alright?”

Casey turned her back to Joseph and finished mopping the bathroom. She had heard his heavy footsteps pad down the hall. When she was finished, she placed her cleaning supplies back where they belonged. She searched the apartment for Joseph and when she had found him nowhere, she settled on the couch with Hedwig.

The young boy was fast asleep, most likely tired from the vomiting. Casey had felt drained as well and lolled her head back on the couch cushions.

Joseph had trudged down the hall of the apartment building and headed towards the garages.

His hands had begun to burn once again and he knew that meant his powers were returning. He’d be capable of bending the whole building in half if he wanted, but he wouldn’t. The more noble side of his brain would like to attribute it to being a ‘bad’ thing to do. But the realistic side of him just knew it would be more trouble than it was worth.

His hands began to throb as he walked to the elevators. They pulsated painfully as Joseph continued. He shook them in an attempt to alleviate the pain, but it hadn’t done much to quell the sensation. By the time he at arrived at the bay of elevators, his hands felt as if they were going to fall off.

Joseph looked down at them to inspect them for the cause of the pain. But he found nothing. His hands had looked as normal as they had been before the hurt has started. Joseph clenched his fist and felt a shock jolt up his arm. He drew his hands close to his body and grunted, trying to stifle the pain surging through his arm.

Joseph felt the fear kicking in. Timidly, he reached a shaking hand out towards the elevator buttons. Joseph touched the cool surface of the button and closed his eyes as another wave of pain washed over him. Joseph leaned into the button when the signaling of the elevator hadn’t sounded off.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the floor. Pieces of dry-wall debris and plastic and metal chunks had sprinkled the floor. Confused, Joseph looked up at his hand. Elbow deep in the wall, Joseph was equal measured shocked and embarrassed. He withdrew his hand awkwardly and looked around.

Joseph had decided to take the stairs.

* * *

 

When Kevin woke from his stupor, he’d spent a moment to take in the sights and smells of Casey’s apartment. The cleaning product from the bathroom wafted into his nose, turning his stomach.

He had remembered Penelope’s favored method of punishment was rubbing him raw with Pine-Sol or bleach to ‘clean’ him after he’d messed something up. He hadn’t been able to handle the stuff since he was nine. Even looking at their bottles-innocuous, plastic-had inspired fear in him.

Kevin sat up on the couch and inhaled another breath. He smelled another scent, this time it was something edible...Rather, it was imitating something edible. There was an undertone of burning wood and paper that made him deduct it was a scented candle.

Wait...where was he?

Curious, Kevin swung his legs over the edge of the couch and looked around. It was then Kevin realized he was in control. His eyes widened in surprise. He looked down at his hands, as if he hadn’t believed he was piloting his body.

Where had Hedwig gone? He was supposed to be holding the seat for as long as he could. If the others had found Kevin-.

“Hedwig?” asked Casey from somewhere in the apartment.

Kevin pitched his voice up as high as he could, “Yes?” he asked in a shaky voice.

Casey had laughed-short, humorless- and emerged from her bedroom. She gave ‘Hedwig’ a once over and twisted her mouth into small dot, “Nice try,”

Kevin saw no need to continue the charade, “Sorry, Case,”

“Kevin?” Casey asked wearily. She approached him slowly, taking in his presence. “Kevin, what are you doing?”

“Well, I was trying to get the kid to do me a favor...where’s Joey?”

Casey made a face, “He’s gone...”.

Kevin sighed, trying not to be rattled, “Is everything okay?”

“No,” Casey said as she joined Kevin on the couch, “No, everything is...everything is awful,”

Hesitantly, Kevin reached a hand out and placed it securely on Casey’s back. “Talk,” he suggested.

Casey shook her head, “I just...I want to help, I do. But I can’t help people like Joseph can. I thought I could back in high school. It just doesn’t feel like enough,”

Kevin grinned wryly and elbowed her, “You helped me. That’s at least twenty-six people,”

Casey rolled her eyes at him yet smiled fondly. She returned his gesture of affection and rested her head on his shoulder, “Kevin you can’t leave. Staple, she’ll find you and Joey and me. She’ll kill us or worse,”

Kevin lifted Casey’s chin so that she would look him in the eyes, “Casey, you don’t know that,”

“But-,"

Kevin shushed her and continued, “We are stronger than you could know. I promise you that. There was a time where I needed you and that time is gone. I’m ready to face me now, all of me,” Kevin affirmed. “You’re like them to me, Casey. You’re part of the group. You were there for a time to protect me and now I need to out grow you.”

Casey looked at Kevin straight on now, she held his hand as he spoke. “Dr. Fletcher mentioned once I should try reintegrating. I think that’s what I wanna do. It’s time Kevin Wendell Crumb goes back to being Kevin Wendell Crumb...bumps, bruises, scars, and all,”

Casey nodded solemnly as Kevin held her hands tighter. “I’m so grateful you were here,” Kevin said. “I really needed you. But now it’s time to let me go,”

“Kevin-,”

Kevin gently cupped Casey’s face in his and held his thumb gently over her lips, “Casey it’s time for you to reintergrate too,"

* * *

 

Joseph stumbled through the parking garage, his head felt as heavy as rock. His fists felt as if they were soaking in boiling water. Once or twice, the pain had subsided only to return again with righteous anger.

Joseph was barely able to contain the groans of pain as he searched the underground parking structure for his car. The fluorescent lights and cavernous layout had become disorienting the longer Joseph traversed through the place.

It was the pain. The pain was beginning to blind him, disorient him.

_Find the car, find the car…_

Joseph fought back the agony just long enough to look at a sign. He knew from there that his truck wasn’t far, if he could get to the truck he’d be fine.

He walked faster now, with purpose. His feet carried him even when his mind refused to acknowledge it.

An oncoming car had caught him in it’s headlights and narrowly missed him. The driver honked and yelled curses at him, but Joseph had barely registered the other person. His body knew one goal, one thing alone. Get. To. The car.

After what seemed like hours, the familiar silver silhouette of his pick-up truck had beckoned him. Joseph stumbled onto it, drawing relief from it’s very presence.

His hands shook and twitched as he fished his keys from his pocket.

Once, twice, Joseph’s trembling fingers had missed the unlock button on his keys. He grunted out of frustration and pain as he tried again. The keys had jumped from his hand on that third try, clattering to the ground.

Joseph allowed himself a ‘fuck’ and got to his knees to pick up the keys.

“Do you need help, young man?”

Joseph turned.

Staple looked down on him with a placid expression. Joseph glared, but the pain was seeping into his very core now making it difficult to stand up against her.

“What do you want?”

“Kevin, but admittedly, a little more now,” Staple said.

Joseph looked around. A black SUV had pulled up in an empty parking space just down the line. Another had blocked off an entrance. Another was creeping into view, just behind Staple.

“How did you find me?” Joseph asked.

“Not hard to find at all with your face being on tv...But I had a little extra help,”

From a black SUV behind Staple, a woman emerged.

At first, Joseph couldn’t recognize the gait or the posture of the person. But the realization dawned on him as the woman fully exited the vehicle. Lindy Price smiled sadly at Joseph. “Hey Mr. Dunn,"

“What-,”

“-We can talk about all your questions in a minute, Joseph. First off, why don’t we do something about your situation,” Staple cut in.

“D-don’t come any closer,” Joseph warned, his voice quivering as the agony swept through him once more.

“You must be in excruciating pain, Joseph. The body can only handle so much before it gives out on you. A great scientist once said that energy cannot be-,”

“Shut up,” Joseph snapped, “Shut up, I am so tired of talking,” he hissed.

Staple smirked, “Keep this up and you’re going to go into cardiac arrest. You’ll die Joseph. Not only that, it’ll hurt the whole time it takes you to die,”

For a moment, he let Staple’s words sink in, “What do I do to stop the hurting,”

“Let it out,”

“I can’t...I’ll hurt someone,”

“Last time I checked, you’re a superhero now. Doesn’t that give you a free pass to hurt a lot of people,”

Joseph looked up at her but just as quickly averted his eyes. Somehow, his body had rose from the ground. His car keys and truck be damned.

Joseph stumbled into the open streets of Pittsburgh with a new goal in mind.

Staple watched him go, a pleasant smile graced her lips.

A man in a navy-blue suit had exited another SUV and looked to Staple, “Dr., do you want us to go after him?”

“Have a few people follow him, Marcus. Don’t engage unless he engages you. He’ll sort himself out,”

“Yes ma’am,”

Marcus made a gesture and rounded up a two SUVs. Within minutes they were following Joseph out of the parking garage.

Staple then turned to Lindy Price. “So Ms. Price, where are the other two,”

Lindy inhaled a long, deep breath and reluctantly pointed up at the apartments above.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I back! Sorry it took so long. We have announcements:
> 
> Did you see the chapter box? We HAVE AN OFFICIAL SET OF CHAPTERS NOW. We only got 6 more to go! Secondly, DID U LIKE THAT 'TWIST'. I had that in my back pocket for the last 5 chapters. I hope it didn't come off as too obvious. It needed to be both "natural" and built upon a previous character to mesh them all together. I hope I accomplished at least one. Secondly, I'm answering questions, always always. Third, it's about 12 am as I'm posting this, so I probably have more to say but can't think of it. I'll edit in what I got later. 
> 
> Anyways, thanks so much to all my loyal, lovely readers. I truly could have not come this far without the occasional comment and kudos to push me through. You guys make my days, weeks, my everything. 
> 
> Have a great week everyone!


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